Flight to Destiny
by Blitz02
Summary: Instead of getting a Charmander from Professor Oak like he'd originally planned, Ash ends up with a completely different starter Pokemon. For better or worse, he receives a feisty Dratini and sets on his journey to capture the world and become the best Pokemon Master there ever was. AU! Smarter Ash!
1. The Flight to Destiny

_**The Flight to Destiny**_

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 **I had been thinking about writing this story and its finally here. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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Ash took a deep, long puff of air inside as he eyed the door of a white-colored one-storey building. He was nervous no doubt. This was the day; the day he would be getting his trainer license to travel around the world and catch Pokemon. And along with that, he would also receive his first Pokemon – his starter.

The thirteen year old boy had already decided on the Pokemon he would choose of the three that would be available to him. The Pokemon that he would pick over Bulbasaur, the Grass-type starter of Kanto and Squirtle, the Water-type starter would be Charmander.

He'd always dreamed of owning a Charizard and he knew that if he raised the Charmander that he would be getting right, that dream could soon become reality. His choice was made long before this day. From his childhood, he'd always been fond of seeing a Charizard on television and the raw power and speed that those massive dragons displayed was something he awed each time he got a look at it.

After what had seemed like eternity standing before the door to Professor Oak's lab, the boy dressed in red jacket with blue trim, red collar and sleeves, a full-sleeved blue t-shirt inside the jacket, blue jeans with white sneaker and black fingerless gloves rang the bell. Soon, the face of a woman in her twenties who wore a white lab coat over her clothes, greeted him through the door.

"You must be one of the new trainers!" The woman said with a bright smile. "Come in. The Professor is inside." She showed Ash the way and the boy strode inside the lab.

There were many machines in the hall that Ash passed through but he wasn't completely unfamiliar with them. He'd been to the Professor's lab a lot of times to not be aware of what the basic function of most of them were.

The woman led him to a hall inside of which, a white-haired old man with a lab coat on, could be seen. "There's the Professor." She smiled. "Best of luck!"

"Thanks!" Ash flashed a smile back to the lady, who walked in another direction. after she'd showed him to the Professor. He stepped inside the hall where he saw Professor Oak staring deeply at a Pokeball on the table in front of him. "Hey Professor," Ash called to the Researcher. "Good morning!"

The Professor shifted his eyes to Ash and instantly, a grin replaced the serious expression he held a moment ago. "Good morning, Ash." He put his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. "Are you ready to get your first Pokemon?"

The concerned boy gave a nod. "You bet I am!" he grinned. He was quite thrilled to begin his Pokemon journey and who wouldn't be? It was the most anticipated day in the life of a boy or girl who wanted to become a Pokemon trainer.

"You definitely are!"

A voice that approached from behind the Professor commented. Ash's hair stood on end when he realized who the voice belonged to. The man who smirked from behind the Professor was a man of the highest stature in the Pokemon world. He wore a medieval-looking navy blue tunic with red-orange trim and a brown belt around his waist.

"Lance…" Ash mumbled in disbelief as his shoulders stiffened. He never expected the Champion of Kanto and Johto to be here in the Professor's lab on the day he started his Pokemon journey.

Ash had known Lance; he'd known the Champion for a few years now. He recalled just how amazing he felt when he'd talked to Lance for the first time. His nerves almost got the better of him at that point and it had taken him a while to comprehend that he was actually meeting with one of his idols at the time.

"It's been a while, Ash." The man with red-hair said, snapping Ash out of his train of old thoughts. However, his eyes suddenly widened. He realized something at that moment. "Your timing couldn't be better."

Ash shook his head and snapped himself out of his stupor. "Timing for what?"

"The Professor told me that you were going to choose a Charmander." Lance moved his body to the side and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder. When he received a nod of affirmation from the black-haired boy, he shut his eyes. "I am sorry Ash, but I was supposed to provide the Charmander to Professor Oak today but sadly.."

At what Lance was apparently pointing at, Ash's mouth opened up agape. His eyes were on the stalks, his heart beating harder than ever before. There was silence around for the next few moments before he eventually gathered the courage to ask if what he thought was true. If it was, he was going to flip.

"Do you…" he faltered, his body beginning to tremble. "Do you mean that there's no Charmander for me?" Ash's eyes were glued at Lance for a reply, his hands thrown wide. His insides screamed for the Champion to deny his claims.

However, that didn't happen. Lance shook his head, all the while his gaze was fixated at the floor. Ash couldn't believe it. His day had been spoiled. His Charmander, the one which he planned to conquer the world with was not here. His eyed were red due to the adrenaline that had pumped throughout his body because of Lance dropping an unwanted bombshell on him.

Eventually, Ash calmed himself down. His breathing had normalized; his racing heart pulling back speed. Although this wasn't because he'd come to terms with what had happened. He was utterly disappointed. Even that would be putting it lightly.

As Lance placed a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder, the Champion's expression changed. The look that his face held right then was one which he wore during intense battles. He picked up the Pokeball that Professor Oak had been looking at a minute ago and stepped forward. "I am sorry, Ash," he spoke in a low voice, his own disappointment in apparently failing to bring in Ash's Charmander audible in his tone. "I couldn't get you a Charmander but I have another Pokemon that you might like."

Ash didn't respond in any visible way. He didn't nod, didn't move his body in the least. He considered Bulbasaur and Squirtle to be amazing Pokemon as well. But the Pokemon he wanted was a Charmander – the Pokemon which would turn into a terrifying dragon. Nothing but a Charmander would do for him.

Lance narrowed his eyes when he didn't receive an answer from Ash. "It's a Pokemon that is just as good as a Charmander." But his words brought the boy no relief. Eventually, Ash picked up his shoulders and faced Lance, although his eyes still remained empty. "The Pokemon that I have here is a Dratini."

At the mention of the name of the Dratini, Ash's eyes almost bogged out in astonishment. "A Dratini!" he hollered. His heartbeat rose once again. Instead of a Charmander, the young man had the choice of getting a Dratini. He couldn't believe if he heard it right but a couple of nods from the now grinning Lance confirmed for him that it was no mistake.

A Dratini wasn't a Charmander but a Dragonite was just as awesome as a Charizard. Dragonite was considered to be almost Legendary and Ash wouldn't have dreamed that he could own one. If owning an intimidating Charizard was his wish, owning a majestic Dragonite was something he'd never even thought about in his wildest dreams.

"I want the Dratini!" Ash declared, excitement in his voice. His spirits flew higher than ever before as he awaited with glittering eyes to see what Lance would say.

"Then that's what you'll get." Lance replied and raised the Pokeball in his hand. The red light from the Pokeball shone through, and on the table materialized a blue serpentine Pokemon with a white underside. It had three-pronged fins on either side of its head and white bump on its forehead.

"That really is a Dratini!" Ash exclaimed. He couldn't move his gaze off the amazing Dragon-type that opened its eyes sharply.

"Yes, that's now your Dratini," Lance chuckled as he saw the look on Ash's face. However, his expression changed soon enough. "But that Dratini is somewhat different to a normal one." He warned with a stern gaze.

"Different?" Ash raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"As you probably know, Dratini are generally very calm Pokemon." The Dragon Master said. "But this Dratini is very aggressive."

Just as Lance finished his explanation about the strange Dratini, the Dragon-type launched a greenish-blue breath of draconian energy from its mouth. The Dragon Breath fired by Dratini whizzed past Ash and struck one of the machines in the room. To say that it was utterly destroyed would be an understatement. In that one instant when the attack met with the round machine, it had made a large, gaping hole inside. One could now see the wall through the electronic machine that was in contact with the wall.

"Hey!" Professor Oak, who'd just been listening to the conversation between Ash and Lance, roared. "What are you doing letting it out in my lab like this, Lance?!" His eyelids were raised and his mouth open due to the raging anger. One of his all important machines was just destroyed.

Lance sighed as he again witnessed what this Dratini could do. He tapped the little Dratini on its head with the Pokeball. "You see Ash," he turned back to Ash and offered him the Pokeball. "This is the kind of trouble this Dratini can cause. Do you still want it?"

This question was something that had even the Professor turn his attention to Ash. Both, Lance and Oak were curious if he would be willing to train a Pokemon who could cause so much trouble early in his journey. Any new trainer could be scared of having a Pokemon as dangerous as that. A Pokemon which went off on its own wouldn't be the easiest to handle.

Ash stated at the machine that had been demolished by Dratini with wide open eyes. Smoke still rose from it, just showing that the dragon Pokemon hadn't held back. Contrary to what a normal boy would do, he smirked. "That's one heck of a Pokemon. I definitely want it."

Instead of being afraid of what the Dratini could do to him, the amber-eyed trainer was simply excited. The thought of having a Dratini could already do so much made his body tremble with enthrallment. A Dragonite, he remarked in his head. That was the Pokemon he wanted now.

Lance handed the Pokeball that held Dratini to Ash. "I am looking forward to what you can do with this Dratini."

Ash grasped the Pokeball of his starter tightly. "I will do my best." He grinned. "Thanks!" he then turned to the Professor and spoke. "My Pokedex, Professor?" He was getting impatient to begin his journey now. He couldn't wait to get on the road, catching and training more Pokemon on the way.

The Professor sighed after glancing at the machine that could no longer be used and nodded. He opened a drawer and removed a flat, red-colored device and several red and white balls and walked offered them to Ash. "Here's your Pokedex. Not only will it provide you with information on the Pokemon you face, but it will also give you detailed information about the Pokemon you've captured like the moves they know and what their ability is. It also acts as your trainer identification." He explained as Ash took the Pokedex and examined it for a second. As the new trainer nodded, Oak continued. "And these are some Pokeballs."

Without another thought, Ash grabbed the shrunken Pokeballs from Professor Oak's hand after he'd kept his Pokedex in his pocket. "Thanks for these!" He gripped the belt of his backpack before turning to Lance. "I won't disappoint you, Lance. I will train Dratini well."

"I am sure you will." Lance winked at the young boy, who'd turned around. "I believe in you, Ash!"

With a smirk, Ash waved to the Champion and then to the Professor before walking off the room and towards the exit of Professor Oak's lab. The strides he took were confident. They were of someone who had absolute faith in himself.

As Ash strode out through the door, Professor Oak put his hands on his hips. "Why did you do that?" he asked, glare so sharp that it could pierce almost anything in its path.

"I brought that Dratini here so that you could keep it alone in your huge ranch somewhere." Lance began, still staring at the path Ash had left from. "But in Ash, I am sure it will be in even better care."

"Couldn't you just let him get the Charmander he wanted and then give him Dratini?" Oak asked as he raised an eyebrow. "And from when did you begin providing me with starter Pokemon?"

"Come on, Professor," Lance let a ghost of a smile play on his face. "You know that I would never just gift a Pokemon to a starting trainer after he has already gotten one to start off with." He chuckled. "I just made some stuff up. Aren't you interested to see how Ash trains that Dratini?"

"If you put it that way…"

* * *

The breeze of Pallet Town gently caressed Ash's face as he stood on the edge of Town. He stared at the board which pointed forward and read Route 1. The path that Ash was about to take a road that connected Pallet Town to the closest major city of Viridian. Route 1 had some wild Pokemon that could be caught easily even by new trainers. He could catch a Pokemon and fight with his very own Dratini. He was exuberant.

The beginning trainer wanted to see his mother and hug her for one last time before he left. But he knew he had to control himself. He'd already said his farewell to his mother and he wasn't about to go back to his house just yet, no matter how much he wanted to. The next time he would see his mother was only after he'd become a trainer that she could be proud of.

Ash gazed at his hometown one last time before he took his first steps on Route 1 with his Dratini. The town of Pallet that had a population of just about a thousand and that was what made it so peaceful and calming. The morning walks, the evening strolls, the picnics that he so often went for just outside the town; those were things Ash was going to miss. He'd already met the friends he knew across town the day before and quite those were people whom he had spent a lot of his childhood with. He would definitely be missing some of those.

And just like that, Ash Ketchum had begun his journey to be the best with his Pokemon. He'd begun his journey to fulfill his lifelong dream. He'd begun his journey to become a Pokemon Master.

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 **And we're done with the first chapter. I know it's a little short but I wanted a short intro before I begin the main journey. The next chapters will be quite longer than this one.**

 **Also, many of the things like how and when Ash met Lance will be explained in the future chapters. As I said, this was just an intro.**

 **If you have any suggestions, any ideas, please let me know about them in the reviews. Also tell me if you liked the chapter or not.**


	2. Taking Flight

_**Taking Flight**_

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 **Thanks for the great response to the first chapter. I didn't expect this story to be appreciated as much as it was.**

 **Anyways, as I promised, the first chapter was a prologue and these next chapters will be longer like this one.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

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Ash took a bite of the sandwich that his mom had packed for him as he leaned comfortably against the tree. He glanced around the surrounding and sighed. He couldn't sight any Pokemon that interested him. The only Pokemon he'd encountered on Route 1 on his short trek were some Spearows and Pidgeys.

He'd been walking for over four hours and as the heat increased, he decided to take a break and also have something to eat.

As he wiped his mouth after finishing the sandwich, Ash gazed at the only Pokeball he had which wasn't empty. He hadn't let Dratini out yet. Its fearsome display in Professor Oak's lab made Ash think twice before hastily letting it out and let it cause trouble. He didn't have the control on Dragon-types like Lance did.

However, he'd made up his mind to get to know his starter. He wanted to do it right now. He brushed off all the hesitation and raised the Pokeball. In a flash of bright red energy, his Dratini now appeared in front of him. Its glare was enough to let Ash know its intentions. Taming this one wasn't going to be easy, Ash noted.

Dratini took a quick look around its surrounding and after it was sure that nothing of interest was around, it curled, resting its head on its tail. It didn't pull off anything extravagant like what it did in Oak's lab but it didn't seem interested in Ash right now either.

Ash wouldn't disturb this Pokemon. Not right now anyway. Although he realized that this was a good chance for him to get a little information about his particular Dratini from his Pokedex. He quickly got it out of his pocket and pointed it at Dratini.

The Pokedex instantly began to speak. "Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Dratini sheds its skin as it grows, often doing so while hidden behind large powerful waterfalls. This Dratini is male. Its ability is Shed Skin. Its moves are: Dragon Breath, Wrap, Aqua Jet, Leer and Shock Wave."

The attacks that Dratini knew impressed Ash. He smiled at the prospect of having his starter already know such moves. And he'd already witnessed that Dratini had more than enough power to make use of all _his_ attacks. He looked at the sleeping Pokemon for a few moments before the Dratini's eyes snapped open. It glared at him and he definitely didn't like the way Dratini did that.

"Don't!" Ash cried as he saw Dratini open his mouth and collect greenish energy inside of draconian power inside of it. "Damn it ! I am done for!" He screamed, frantically shielding his face for what was to come. This wasn't an attack that Ash could take and come out of with only minor injuries. If he took a Dragon Breath with as much power as his Dratini's, his condition could be really, really bad. However as he braced himself, the Dragon Breath simply passed him by. He only felt the current of air that the attack cut but he could tell that the attack wasn't even close to him.

Ash steadily opened his eyes and looked through the opening between his fingers. He noticed that Dratini had calmed down and when he turned around to where the attack had been fired, his eyes widened. Just behind him was an injured Rattata. That was when he realized what Dratini was really trying to do; he was simply trying to keep away the Rat Pokemon who was headed towards them.

He sighed in relief that his starter hadn't already started to hate him. Soon, he removed one of the potions from his backpack and sprayed it around the wounded Rattata. He winced at the cry Rattata let out and after he'd carefully treated it, he placed it against the tree.

"You'll be as good as new in a while." He mumbled before he turned towards his starter. "Hey Dratini," he called softly, getting closer to him. "You shouldn't just attack any Pokemon like that."

He was dubious at first but eventually brought himself to pet the little Pokemon on the head. And to his pleasant surprise, Dratini didn't retort. He simply opened one of his eyes and observed Ash petting him. Even though he didn't show any signs of it on his face, he quite liked his new trainer treating him the way he was now. It wasn't the worst he had felt.

Although, Dratini shut his eyes close and turned his face away when he saw Ash smiling at him. What was that human thinking getting so comfortable with him? He was a mighty Dragon and he wouldn't let himself be tamed by a human. But, even Dratini conceded that the affection this boy showed him wasn't all that bad.

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It was evening as Ash eyed the sky getting orange. He would soon be in need to find a safe place to spend the night. As he walked through the road a little more, he saw something that he hadn't on the first day of his Pokemon journey until now.

There was a girl with orange hair tied in a ponytail standing against a boy. He recognized the girl's starfish-like Pokemon as a Staryu while the fainted Pokemon of the boy was a Mankey. He fastened his stride and reached the place of their fight soon enough. The boy had just left with his fainted Pokemon but the girl still remained there.

"Hey there," he called as he got the girl to look at him. "Wanna battle?" He hadn't come up against any trainers on Route 1 until now and he looked forward to battling alongside his Dratini for the first time.

The orange-haired girl observed Ash for a moment before she put forward her Pokeball. "Sure," she grinned. "But I warn you, I am strong. You'll just be heading to the Pokemon Center like that boy just now did."

Ash rolled his eyes and smirked a moment later. "We'll see about that, won't we?" This girl didn't have any idea who she was up against. Ash's excitement surged as he raised his Pokeball in front of him and so did the girl.

The Pokemon that came out of the girl's Pokeball was the Pokemon she'd used in her earlier match – A Staryu. In a flash of light that came out of Ash's Pokeball, Dratini materialized on the ground. He shrieked at Staryu dangerously and looked away immediately. He was clearly not impressed by his opponent as he screeched a few more times. It almost seemed as if he was warning the Water-type.

Ash raised an eyebrow snidely. "Scared?"

The girl's jaw dropped at what her opponent possessed. "You have a Dratini!" she exclaimed. Never did she expect a trainer on Route 1 to have that Dragon Pokemon. So many exceptional trainers had searched for one but hardly any succeeded. "How did you get that?"

"He's my starter," He said confidently. "Shall we begin?"

She blinked a few more times before she shook herself out of her stupor. She nodded and gave an order. "Misty calls Water Gun!"

"What calls?!" Ash frowned at the unusual order by the girl but soon rolled his eyes and gave his own order. "Shock Wave!"

While Dratini laid on the ground without a care in the world, Staryu pointed its top most limb at the serpent and out of it, a stream of water headed at its opponent. Dratini opened his eyes once he sensed the attack that approached him and with great agility, he got out of the way letting the Water Gun pass through and meet thin air.

"Damn!" Ash cursed as he slapped his forehead. He was afraid of this; he had a bad feeling that Dratini might ignore his orders in a battle.

"So you can't control it, huh?" Misty sniggered, almost cockily. "Now Psywave!"

At the command, Staryu's entire body became outlined in a light blue glow. The glowing red-colored core inside the ring around Staryu's body also glowed as it fired light blue rings of psychic energy at its opponent. Dratini didn't even try to dodge the attack that came his way before exploding on him. The attack caused visible damage to him but he didn't flinch. He simply glared at the Starfish Pokemon, his eyes burning with rage. This Pokemon had dared to ignore his warning. He was going to make it pay.

A grimace appeared on Ash's face after Staryu successfully hit Dratini with its Psywave. He knew that Dratini could defeat this Staryu easily if he wanted to. From the Water Gun, he'd already concluded that the Staryu wasn't of a high level. However if Dratini failed to attack and simply continued like this, it could be bad.

Just as Ash was about to recall his Pokemon inside his ball due to the fact that he wouldn't listen to him, Dratini's body got surrounded in light blue electricity that dangerously cackled and spread around him. A moment later, a wave of concentrated electricity that Dratini had summoned headed towards Staryu from the bump on his forehead. The Water-type let out a huge cry of pain while the red orb on it glowed bright for a moment and dim at another after it being stung by the super-effective move. But Dratini didn't care. He just shot another Shock Wave at Staryu and it couldn't get up this time. With two consecutive attacks, he had taken care of his opponent.

"Staryu!" Misty cried in concern as she took her fainted Staryu in her arms. The wounds that the Shock Wave had caused it were critical. She tapped the Pokemon with its Pokeball and glared daggers at Ash, her eyes blood-red. "You should be ashamed. Going around with a Pokemon you can't even control. You're a pathetic excuse for a trainer!"

Ash was about to apologize but the girl's last statement made him narrow his eyes and decide otherwise. Anyone calling him pathetic needed to have a look at themselves in the mirror. He wouldn't tolerate it. He simply recalled his own Pokemon and began walking, ignoring the girl who'd whistled off on her bicycle.

* * *

The night came and went with Ash finding a safe place for him to set up his camp for the night. Before sleeping, he ate the last of the homemade food that had been packed by his mother and also fed Dratini of course. And Dratini's eating habits told a lot about him; he was a fond eater. Ash had tried to talk to Dratini later in the night but he little response from the dragon. The only time he really seemed interested was when Ash mentioned about Pokemon battling.

Ash placed some of the Pokemon food in the bowl and kept it in front of his Dratini. "There you go," He smiled warmly. "Eat up, Dratini."

Dratini didn't need another invitation as he dig into his Pokemon food. He didn't devour the food, instead opting to eat nice and slowly. But Ash could figure that he was enjoying it. He let out a grunt when the bowl was empty and Ash quickly realized why.

"You want more?" he asked in amusement. Upon receiving a hesitated nod from the Pokemon, he chuckled and poured some more food from the container.

Again, Dratini appeared to be enjoying the meal he'd been provided by his trainer as he finished it though this time, let out a satisfied coo. Getting along with this trainer wouldn't be so bad was the thought that ran through his mind as he glanced at Ash pack up his stuff.

A few hours later, Ash stood in front of a brown-haired boy with shorts on and in front of him was his Dratini. The Pokemon that stood in front of his opponent was a small brown avian Pokemon with red wings. Both Dratini and Spearow stared at each other aggressively, none of them breaking their gaze.

"Spearow, Fury Attack!" The boy yelled. His Spearow obeyed as it flew fast, closed in towards Dratini and prepared for its attack.

"Let it come to you, Dratini," Ash instructed. "Now, use Wrap!"

Ash's command came right before Spearow hit Dratini with its beak. But it could only do it once as Dratini had the Flying-type in his grasp, his long body wrapped firmly around it. Spearow struggled to get out but eventually cried as Dratini tightened his grip even further.

Ash was overjoyed. Finally, Dratini had done something he'd told him to. However, he realized that he could celebrate later. "Shock Wave!" he ordered.

"No, Spearow!" Its trainer cried in fear, eyes widened as he realized the danger of the electric attack.

And just as he said that, light blue waves of electricity surrounded Dratini and once he focused the bolt into the bump on his head, he shot the Spearow with his Electric-type move at point black range. The Spearow could only agonize as burns covered its body; it had been fried crisp. Dratini realized that his opponent could no longer move as he let go of his foe. The Spearow laid on the ground without showing any signs of recovery.

"Return, Spearow," The boy raised the Pokeball and the Flying-type was sucked inside. He stepped forward and offered a handshake to Ash. "You've got an amazing Pokemon, man!"

Accepting the handshake, Ash grinned. "That's true," As the boy left, he bent down and petted Dratini who'd listened to him for the first time. Although, when he did pet him, Dratini glanced away instantly before moving to rest himself under the shadow of a tree nearby. Ash tittered. "I guess we'll have to take it slow."

* * *

The sight of Viridian City from the top of the slope was really amazing. It was completely different from his serene hometown of Pallet. The city was filled with tall towers as well as many houses, schools and whatnot. The facilities that Viridian City provided were proof of it being one of the major cities of Kanto. It had taken him two and a half days to get here and that in itself showed that Ash hadn't been wasting time at all. He hadn't caught any Pokemon yet but he didn't mind.

The first step Ash landed inside Viridian City, he let out a huge sigh. It had been the first time Ash had traveled alone in his life and although he did attend several camps, being on a Pokemon journey was a completely different thing. It felt good; it really did feel good to finally feel independent. It felt amazing as the cool breeze blew into his face.

As Ash had progressed through Route 1, he'd come across several trainers that he fought against. Those battles were priceless for the sole reason that he had found it easier to communicate with Dratini after each battle. He could feel that he was breaking the wall that Dratini had built inside of himself. And his progress with Dratini was evidenced by the fact that Dratini had begun to listen to some of his instructions while battling and had also begun to go easy on his opponent and not overdo it like he used to. Ash wasn't too amused when Dratini had attacked Staryu again even after the first Shock Wave had weakened it to the point that it couldn't have continued battling.

It was just a quick 15 minutes walk from the entrance of the City to the Pokemon Center. On the way, he passed through the Viridian City Police station just after he entered the city. He showed his Pokedex to the officer in the station as his identification after which, he was allowed to go through.

Finally, Ash entered the Pokemon Center to find several people inside; some with their Pokemon while some going and coming out of the restaurant that the Pokemon Center housed. He then moved his eyes to the person he wanted to see; a pink-haired woman with a nurse's outfit standing across the counter right in the middle of the huge hall of the Pokemon Center.

"That's Viridian City's Nurse Joy." Ash realized. The Pokemon centers were run and managed by nurses from the Joy family, whose significant feature were their beautiful pink hair. All around the world, it was a tradition that a Pokemon Center must have Nurse Joy and Ash very well had been taught about that in his school years.

The trainer made his way straight to the counter and spoke. "Good evening, Nurse Joy." He greeted with a smile, getting the Nurse's attention.

"Good evening!" she chimed back merrily. "How may I help you?"

Ash took no time to respond. "Do you mind healing my Pokemon?." He asked politely and kept his only Pokeball that contained Dratini on the counter.

Nurse Joy nodded and called for a pink ovoid Pokemon who took Dratini's Pokeball inside the treatment room with a giant + sign on its door. A couple of minutes later, the same Chansey brought the Pokeball and handed it over to the pink-haired Nurse, who thanked the Pokemon for the help.

"Here you go." Joy kept the Pokeball on the counter. "Your Pokemon's all healed up."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." Ash flashed a smile to the pretty woman as he accepted the Pokeball.

* * *

It was just afternoon and Ash had already eaten his lunch as well as fed his Dratini. And he'd decided to take a short rest for the day instead of heading to Viridian Forest right away. He'd heard about how daunting Viridian Forest could be to travel through. It was a huge forest and it took around a week to reach Pewter City from the Forest if one didn't get lost. That would be tiring so taking half a day off wouldn't really hurt him.

After hearing about the battlefield that the Pokemon Center provided for trainers, Ash headed straight there. It was located right on the backyard of the Pokemon Center and when he reached there, he could hear cries of a Pokemon battle. In his view came a purple-haired boy who wore a brown sleeveless jacket over his pink shirt with black jeans. What surprised Ash the most was the type match-up. It appeared as if the purple-haired boy had pitted his Fire-type Lizard, Charmander against a small tadpole Pokemon with round swirls on its belly, a Poliwag as Ash recognized it.

The battle was at its conclusion as the Poliwag had many wounds throughout its body. Charmander fared better with only a few minor injuries. Another little blast of orange flames attack from the Charmander effectively ended the battle in its victory.

However, at what met his gaze right after that, Ash frowned. The Charmander's trainer kicked the little Lizard Pokemon disdainfully. He couldn't believe how this guy treated his Pokemon after he saw him land a kick on the innocent Pokemon again. Charmander didn't even try to retaliate; it just cried at the pain but didn't show any signs of fighting back.

"You weakling!" Charmander's trainer grunted loudly. "You took so long to win against that joke of a Pokemon?"

Charmander grimaced and braced itself for another one of his trainer's attack. But it never came. When it looked up, it saw Ash holding his trainer by the collar.

"What did you think you were doing?" Ash scowled in rage. He could never watch a Pokemon treated badly. He firmly believed that Pokemon had the right to live in this world just as much as humans did. Pokemon were to be caught and befriended, not abused like this junkie was just doing. "Fools like you don't deserve to be trainers. Don't you have any shame treating a Pokemon like that?"

"That's my Pokemon. I can do what I want with it!" He snarled as Ash let go of his collar and he straightened himself up. "Who are you to teach me how I should use my Pokemon, anyway?!"

"You think you can get away with this?" Ash glared at him, fury audible in his tone. "It's a crime to abuse Pokemon."

"Why don't we teach this kid a lesson, eh Damian?" came another amused voice from behind.

The tension had brewed up. This new boy who'd just arrived appeared to be a friend of the Charmander's trainer, now identified as Damian. If Ash was to fight these guys, he would be at a disadvantage of numbers. On top of that, he only owned one Pokemon right now. But that didn't worry Ash; not in the least. The one-on-one battles so far had been far too easy for his Dratini anyway.

Ash frowned and unclipped his sole Pokeball from his belt. "Let's see who teaches who." He smirked, almost assured of his victory.

Meanwhile, Charmander could only watch in awe. Never had anyone stood up for it like this newly arrived boy just did. It had been with Damien for a few short months now and he'd always treated it like this. It thought that every human was like that with their Pokemon. That every human hit their Pokemon when they made the slightest of mistakes. That every human Pokemon trainer used them as tools. However, this boy seemed different. Charmander was fascinated.

"Hmph!" Damien snorted smugly. "He thinks he can beat us in a Pokemon battle."

"It's ass-kicking time!" The other one smirked.

Ash could only roll his eyes at their ignorance. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into. When his Dratini materialized in front of him, both Damian and his friend were at a loss for words. They shook themselves back soon enough though as they threw their own Pokemon. Damian had chosen a purple bat-like Pokemon with an open, oval mouth and sharp fangs while the other boy's Pokemon was a grey-colored humanoid Pokemon with bulging muscles.

"Dratini," Ash got his starter's attention. "These guys treat their Pokemon like tools. Let's teach them a lesson."

Dratini could feel the difference in his trainer's tone. He'd never heard his trainer sound so serious, not even during their Pokemon battles so far. He'd always maintained himself and never spoken with the raw anger that his voice held just now. He soon realized the reason about Ash's contempt as his glance met a wincing Charmander.

"Golbat, Wing Attack!" Damian shouted with intensified rage. He wasn't one to back down when someone agitated him and tried to tell him to change his ways.

"Use Karate Chop, Machop!" The other boy ordered.

"Dragon Breath on Machop!" Ash commanded, his eyes observing his opponent's Pokemon.

Muscular power concentrated in its fist, Machop ran at Dratini with the glowing fist raised up high while Golbat's wings got an almost transparent glow as it headed for Dratini. The Dragon-type though ripped through Machop with his power-filled greenish-blue breath being too quick for the Superpower Pokemon to dodge. However, that meant that Golbat who'd stayed behind managed to strike with its wings and cause Dratini to cry out in pain. He hissed at the Golbat who bared its fangs in reply. Neither of them would back down.

"Haha!" Damian laughed sinisterly. "That's what you get for being so full of yourself!" He was thrilled to get an early strike. "Wing Attack again!"

Ash glanced at Machop and discerned the best strategy that he could to win. "Dratini, aim for Machop with Aqua Jet!"

Dratini's body became surrounded by water as it leapt up in the air. With the water following his trail, he crashed into Machop as the water dispersed around them both. The speed of his Aqua Jet meant that the Fighting-type couldn't even think to get out of the way. It was struck by the attack and could no longer move.

"Now use Shock Wave on Golbat, quick!"

Just as Golbat struck Dratini with its Wing Attack, albeit with only one wing, Dratini's body glowed with blue electricity which he released from the bump on his head. Golbat was so close that evading the attack was out of the picture. It took the super-effective damage from the Electric-type attack before Dratini fired off a Dragon Breath without his trainer's orders. The back to back attacks meant that Golbat could no longer battle, collapsing on the ground unconsciously.

"What?!" Damian cried in disbelief, his jaw wide open. He gritted his teeth in agitation before it noticed the glare that was aimed at him from the Pokemon that had just destroyed his Golbat. "Damn!" He threw a Pokeball toward the wall from his pocket, which crashed and broke in two. "I don't need you anymore, Charmander. You're useless!" he yelled before he rushed out, followed by his friend.

Ash sighed. He was happy that he was able to scare those thugs away but he still had work to do with Dratini. He had never called for it to use a Dragon Breath to end the match but he still did. He decided to dismiss those thoughts for now and think about it later. He had something more urgent he needed to do right now.

He stepped towards the Charmander who appeared shocked for some reason. There were not too many major wounds on Charmander's body although he winced at the sight of the blood that drew from the cut made by Damian's shoes. Such behavior with Pokemon was unfathomable to him. He would never allow this. Carefully, Ash picked up the Charmander, who at first struggled but calmed down somewhat after Dratini muttered a few words to it. He smiled at Charmander, a smile which was meant to assure it that it would no longer be facing such cruelty again.

It only took a minute for Ash to get Charmander to the Pokemon Center. "Nurse Joy," he called. "Could you treat this Charmander, please."

Smiling with such calm as she always did, Joy nodded. "Sure. Could you recall it in your Pokeball before though?" she requested.

Ash winced as he saw Charmander's fear at the mention of the Pokeball. "You see Nurse Joy, this Charmander's not mine." He explained. His eyes pleaded to the lady to quickly treat it.

Nurse Joy caught Ash's drift and called for Chansey who carried the Fire-type inside the treatment room.

"What's the Charmander's story?" Nurse Joy asked, all the while continuing her work. "That didn't look like a wild Charmander."

"It was abandoned." Ash sighed. Nurse Joy remained silent, only nodding in understanding.

A few minutes passed before Chansey brought Charmander back to the counter. It looked re-energized and back to full health but it also looked upset. Its trainer had abandoned it and it didn't know what to do.

"Hey Charmander, how're feeling now?" Ash asked in a low, comforting tone. The Charmander raised his head slowly and let out a grunt to say that he was doing all right.

While Charmander was being treated, Ash had a long thought about taking Charmander with him; if it agreed, of course. But Ash didn't want the Charmander to be distant from him. If that was the case, he would be better off leaving Charmander here in the Pokemon Center if it was okay with Nurse Joy. It might be happier living here. That was what he had concluded.

"If you want, you can come with me on my journey." He said.

The thought of being under the care of a trainer like Ash never crossed Charmander's mind. It never thought that Ash could even think it was worthy of being trained. If a lowly trainer like Damian abandoned it, how could an exceptional trainer like Ash even think of training it? Charmander's expression showed the astonishment that it felt just then. It howled excitedly, arms aloft and eyes glittering with joy.

The shock was shared by Ash, too. "Really?" he asked again, leaning down closer to Charmander, who nodded again and again followed by cries of elation.

Ash could barely contain his excitement. He placed an empty Pokeball on the counter and Charmander tapped at it instantly. The Fire-type was sucked inside in a crimson energy as the Pokeball shook. Once. Twice. Thrice. The Pokeball now laid still in front of Ash without any sort of movement, signifying his first ever Pokemon capture.

The feel of the Pokeball as he grasped it was amazing. The Pokemon that his fortunes denied him of was now his. His dream of getting a Charizard; it could now be fulfilled. He simply couldn't believe that his first two Pokemon were Dratini and Charmander. He couldn't contain a grin as he attached Charmander's Pokeball to his belt.

"Lucky way to catch a Pokemon, isn't it?" he gasped out.

Nurse Joy shook her head. "That wasn't lucky. I can certainly say that much."

* * *

The sign pointing towards Viridian Forest stood in front of Ash. This was going to be quite an adventure. He walked past the checkpoint which was built to provide trainers a place to rest in between their travels and he stood ever so closer to being in the forest that would surely be crawling with many Bug-types.

Finally, Ash had stepped in. The Forest which was known to have caused many trainers to wander around for days and never find their path; it was truly a maze and Ash could comprehend that now. Even though he'd just taken a few steps inside the forest, the trees around him all looked the same. The sunlight that he felt just a few minutes ago when he was outside could no longer be seen.

The sky still remained visible but the proximity between the trees wasn't much. The only positive Ash could make out of it was that he wouldn't have been too exhausted while travelling. The absolute silence felt creepy; it felt as if he was in a dark room with no one around.

Ash could only gulp after looking around him. He felt as if several eyes were on him – watching every movement of his. The only things in sight were the tall trees that made up the majority of Viridian Forest.

After what had seemed like eternity, Ash took another step forward. He'd observed the entrance to the forest well enough and discerned that there wasn't any threat to him from wild Pokemon. He still felt that he was being watched but he could figure out whose eyes were on him. The books he read about Viridian Forest informed him of the Bug-Type Pokemon like Caterpie, Weedle and their evolutions swarmed the entirety of the maze that was Viridian Forest. Only one of those Bug-Types could be aggressive without him or his Pokemon making any moves; Beedrill. That was the one common bug that he needed to be careful of.

* * *

The sky had already turned orange; the beautiful sunset visible to Ash from where he laid. The first day in Viridian Forest had proved out to be somewhat uneventful. He'd only come across a few Bug-types and nothing that caught his attention. He'd progressed through Viridian Forest so far with the help of a map and he could surely say that he was on the right path. He fretted at just the thought of getting lost in this forest. That was the last thing he would want.

Dratini and Charmander – whom he'd just let out of its ball – both laid besides their trainer, gazing at the beautiful scene along with him. They felt calm, especially Charmander. The little Lizard had been overjoyed when his trainer let him out and spend some time in peace. All this was new for it. Not to say Dratini didn't enjoy his time. He was just as relaxed and comforted by this.

"Dratini, Charmander," Ash didn't move his gaze from the sky that he'd been watching for so long but his Pokemon turned to glance at him. "Someday, when you evolve and can fly, I want for us to go up there." He pointed towards the sky as a smile played across his face. "I want us to touch the clouds together."

Both the Pokemon let out a few perplexed cries before they could comprehend what their trainer meant. They too, gazed at the sky and realized just what their trainer felt. The endless sky fascinated them both. Even they wanted to reach the sky now. Now that their trainer had got their attention to the sky, they simply couldn't look away. They were captivated by the thought of it; reaching the sky and touching the clouds.

Charmander and Dratini shared a quick glance at each other. They both could do it; they both could reach the sky. And they could take Ash along with them to an adventure that none of them could forget. They realized soon enough that they must evolve first and grow wings in order to do that. And they were going to do just that. They'd just registered themselves a new goal.

Ash had let his Pokemon spend the night outside. It served two purposes: They could protect Ash as well as each other during the night while they would also get to know themselves better. He'd served them the new Pokemon food that he bought while in Viridian City and he was conscious enough to buy some food that was specially made for Dragon and Fire-types. And he knew that they had enjoyed it.

In fact, they were still enjoying the food, gulping it down bite by bite. Ash finished his breakfast quickly but his Pokemon still hadn't. And he found something of worth doing while they calmly had their meal.

His Pokedex began to speak as he pointed it at his Fire-type. "Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. When the tip of Charmander's tail burns brightly, that indicates it's in good health." It said in its mechanical voice, which caught Charmander as well as Dratini's attention while they ate. "This Charmander is male. Its ability is Blaze. Its moves are: Ember, Scratch, Growl and Metal Claw."

Ash mused as he pressed a couple of buttons on the Pokedex and read the moves that Charmander could learn. "Dragon Rage." That move was the one that he thought could come in handy for Charmander and his Dratini might be helpful in teaching that move to him. He didn't know the move but it would be similar to the way it charged up draconic energy for Dragon Breath.

A few more hours passed as Ash walked through the Viridian Forest, following the map to the T. He'd come across two Bug-type trainers on the way and with the help of Charmander and Dratini in one battle each, he'd managed to come out victorious. Charmander was stronger than he expected and he couldn't even begin to comprehend why Damian would call it weak. From what he observed, Charmander was far stronger than the Golbat he used. The Fire-type had an immense amount of potential and Damian hadn't even scratched the surface of it. Although he didn't want to think about that guy anymore so he stopped there.

With both his Pokemon in tow, Ash continued to walk through, coming across some Caterpie or Weedle on the way who escaped at the human's sight.

Right then, he heard some cries coming from up above. He turned to glance towards the sky and caught glimpse of a small, plump bodied avian who flew through the trees. The other cries belonged to two Spearows who appeared to be chasing the Pidgey.

As Ash and his Pokemon watched the three flying types in interest, Pidgey pulled out its wings and suddenly spun back. It flew back and struck the two Spearows with its slightly glowing wings. The Spearows recovered though and using advantage of their number, they pecked the Pidgey, who managed to dodge one but was struck by the other.

The Peck attack from Spearow had thrown Pidgey off, as it descended without control over its body. The Pokemon came to its own soon enough though, and its body suddenly became engulfed in a rainbow-colored light. The body of the little Bird Pokemon grew in proportions, its colorful tail got longer as well its wings grew further. Soon enough, the light died down and in place of the Pidgey was a Pidgeotto.

It didn't take long for the newly evolved Pidgeotto showed its newfound power. It flew at higher speeds that before and quite clearly, the Spearows were scared by the larger Pokemon as it dashed through the air elegantly. It struck them with its wings once and wounds were visible on the Spearows body, who tried to escape. A normal Pokemon would've wanted revenge but the calm nature of a Pidgeotto stopped the avian from chasing its enemy.

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed, amazed by the display of speed by the Flying-type. Equally enthralling was the evolution that he'd just witnessed. "Dratini, lets catch that Pidgeotto, Shock Wave!"

As called, Dratini crawled forward and readied himself for a battle. The command for a Shock Wave was heard by him and he launched the electricity at Pidgeotto. The attack had taken Pidgeotto by surprise; it shrieked in agony as it was served up some voltage bolts. As the attack faded, the bird looked visibly shaken. It recovered quickly though and as it descended to attack Dratini, it almost disappeared from vision, leaving only white trails behind it and tackling the dragon with its body.

"Its Quick Attack is strong." Ash noted Dratini grimace. Now he wanted this bird even more. "Aqua Jet!"

Dratini showed his own speed as he launched himself in the air with water surrounding his body. Pidgeotto hadn't retreated to the skies yet and it was easy enough for Dratini to complete the Aqua Jet just a few feet above the ground.

"Now Dragon Breath!" Ash commanded.

Dratini obeyed and breathed out draconic energy from his mouth although Pidgeotto dodged it by just gliding through the air. Pidgeotto flipped back in the air and this time rushed with glowing wings, successfully damaging Dratini with its Wing Attack. The attack wasn't weak which became evident by the cuts that the attack left on the target's body.

"Dragon Breath again!"

Dratini recovered himself, shaking his head to get back to his senses. Like before, he released his greenish-blue breath at Pidgeotto who had flown up. Though the difference this time was that he was able to hit Pidgeotto and make it crash into one of the trees before it fell on the ground and struggled to remain conscious.

Ash sensed the moment. He enlarged an empty Pokeball and threw it at the Pidgeotto. The device made contact and sucked the wounded Pokemon inside before it began to shake while Ash watched in anticipation. The Pokeball shook to either sides three times before it stopped.

That was Ash's second capture. He was thrilled as he walked toward the Pokeball and picked it up carefully. "Good job, Dratini." He praised his starter before he clipped the Pokeball to his belt. He looked at Dratini and Charmander and spoke again. "We now have another friend."

His statement had clearly delighted Charmander as he walked towards Dratini and praised his friend. Dratini appeared a little flushed as the two Pokemon continued to communicate before both appeared to be shrieking in joy, the reason for which their trainer couldn't comprehend.

A look at the sky told him that this would be a good time for him to take a lunch break as well. They walked a little more and soon found a tree good enough to provide them shelter for a while and one which wasn't completely filled with bugs. Ash quickly got the Pokemon food out and let the Pokemon enjoy their meal before he removed a potion from his backpack. The Pokeball in which his newly caught Pidgeotto resided snapped open and the injured Pokemon came out.

"This might sting a bit," Ash said while he sprayed the potion around the many wounds on Pidgeotto's body. The Pokemon cried out the potion was applied at some of the cuts that had some blood dripping out of them. "You'll be good to go in a while." He smiled tenderly at his Pokemon and petted its head gently.

The newly captured Pokemon just gazed at its trainer and then spared a glance for Dratini and Charmander, who happily ate their food. It had never been in the care of a human before; in fact, it was not everyday that it saw one up close in this forest. However it enjoyed the love that Ash showed it; it felt comforting.

After a few minutes passed, Ash put some Pokemon food in a bowl and kept it in front of Pidgeotto. "Eat it, Pidgeotto. It'll make you feel better."

Pidgeotto obliged and steadily took the Pokemon food in its mouth. After the first bite, it began to eat faster, not only enjoying the food but also feeling better as its body began healing slowly. The food tasted good too, maybe even better than what it usually ate.

While it ate, Ash scanned Pidgeotto with his Pokedex and it began speaking. "Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokemon and the evolved form of the Pidgey It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. It can carry its prey to its nest over 60 miles away. This Pidgeotto is female. Its ability is Keen Eye. Its move are: Gust, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Whirlwind and Wing Attack."

"That's a pretty good moveset." Ash complimented and petted his newest Pokemon once again. The soft feathers of his Pidgeotto made touching them worth it.

* * *

Ash progressed further into the forest for a while, this time having all his Pokemon rest inside their Pokeballs. It was good having them around but they would be more comfortable being in their Pokeball, during the afternoon at least.

As he walked, he saw someone from the corner of his eye. The figure appeared to be running followed by another and this was what rose Ash's curiosity. He knew the one who was following the first shadow - most likely a Pokemon - and hence, he ran through the woods. The figure that he knew never escaped his sight but he didn't want to just shout too loudly in this forest.

He sprinted ahead, catching up to the person soon enough as he ran. Just when he thought he was in range, he shouted. "Wait, Leaf!"

The girl with light brown who wore a blue top, red skirt, light blue socks, a white hat and sneakers stopped in her tracks when she heard Ash's voice. She spun around promptly as Ash finally caught up to her. "Ash!" she smiled brightly, though surprised.

"You're already in Viridian Forest, huh?" Ash panted, hands on his knees. He'd chased her for almost three to four minutes straight and that was definitely exhausting.

Leaf, Ash's childhood friend from Pallet Town too bent down, her breaths heavy. "You think I am some sort of a slowpoke?" She appeared really jovial to meet Ash.

He chuckled. "No. I am just surprised you made it as far as I did." He straightened himself back up but still took a few shallow breaths.

"That means you did think that!" she snorted, looking away in exasperation. "By the way, Ash" She started, looking at him with interest. "Professor Oak told me that you started with a really amazing Pokemon which wasn't a starter. Which is that Pokemon?"

"Yeah I sure did." Ash grinned. "My starter is Dratini!" He declared, like it was no big deal.

Leaf's eyes almost popped out. "That's amazing!" she bellowed. It took her a few moments to calm herself down and get back to her senses. "And you even left without waiting for us." she sighed. "But knowing you, I should have expected that."

"Well, I did feel bad for not waiting later." Ash said.

"But I sure am glad to meet you here. You're like my hero now, you know?" her tone changed instantly into her usual peppy one.

He cocked his head, confused at what she really meant. "Hero? Why is that? I didn't even save you."

Leaf let herself fall on the ground, placing her hand on the ground behind her back. "You totally did." She pointed out. "I thought that I would be lost here forever. But I sure am lucky to have met you."

He joined her and rested his head on the ground. "What were you after? A Pokemon?" He was quite curious to know what it was that moved at high speeds through the trees.

"Yeah," She confirmed with a nod. "I guess you could say this was my lucky day. I came across a Scyther and while trying to capture it, I found you." She giggled happily as she too, laid her entire body on the ground. "My first day in Viridian Forest and so much happened."

"Wait," Clearly surprised, Ash frowned. "Your first day? You mean to say you made it so far on just your first day?"

She nodded. "How long have you been here?" She turned to him, curiosity filling her eyes.

"This is my second day." He answered plainly. "And I am pretty sure I have been following the map right. Did you go wander off between the roads to try and find a shortcut?"

"I did," Leaf admitted as if proud of herself. "I did find a shortcut, didn't I?" she pumped her fist in the air and let out a series of giggles.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Ash's tone contained sarcasm to an extent. He let out a sigh before he sat up. This girl never ceased to be adventurous. "There's still some time before sunset. I can still walk for a while."

In alarm, Leaf too rose up. "I am coming with you!" She wouldn't want to get lost again and it would be foolish to travel alone now that she'd met Ash.

"You'll slow me down so no thanks." Ash denied. A smirk played across his face as he stood up and looked away in order to hide it.

As he was just about to begin walking, Leaf grabbed his hand and stood up herself. "Do you really think I'll let you go? What if I die here?" She pouted cutely and came in front of Ash. She knew he couldn't deny her. No, he wouldn't deny her.

And he really couldn't. "Alright" Ash groaned. "But if you slow me down, I'll just leave you." he quite enjoyed this conversation. It hadn't been too long since he talked to the girl but she was someone with whom he always found his time to be fun.

"And if I die in this forest because of that, I'll haunt you forever." Leaf giggled before she skipped a few steps, walking alongside Ash who she knew didn't like to waste a lot of time.

* * *

 **How was the chapter? Did you like it?**

 **Leaf has joined Ash only for the Viridian Forest for now and I am not completely sure if she will be traveling with him after that or not.**

 **Also, I'll open up a poll on my profile for "Whether Ash should nickname his Pokemon or not." So be sure to vote on that.**

 **Tell me whatever you thought in the reviews and if you have any ideas about the future chapters, either include them in your reviews or PM me.**

 **Thanks for reading! See you soon!**


	3. Compound Encounters

_**Compound Encounters**_

* * *

 **Hello people!**

 **So after the results of the poll about Ash's Pokemon's nicknames favored the option "No", I have decided that Ash wouldn't be nicknaming all his Pokemon. Although having said that, Ash might nickname a couple or so.**

 **Also, Ash is not specifically training Flying-types. It was just a coincidence that his first three Pokemon could eventually end up being Flying-types, nothing more.**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Ash watched as his Pokemon formed dark blue orbs of energy in their mouths, one of them being larger than the other. His training to teach his Charmander and Dratini Dragon Rage had gotten underway a few days back and they had made considerable progress since. Both of them could now summon the draconic energy required for the attack and would probably manage to execute the move well enough more times than not at this point. However, Ash believed that it would be best for them to concentrate on one thing at a time – charging up power for the move – before they tried to complete the attack.

And that worked. Their training to just collect the energy for Dragon Rage instead of attempting to learn the attack completely made them adept at what they did. It would also help when they tried to learn a Dragon-type attack in the future. Both of them would exactly know how to focus and get the required amount of power if they practiced it long enough.

He'd already figured that it wouldn't be a big deal for them to just fire off the attack. That would be similar to how Dratini fired Dragon Breath and Charmander used Ember. He smiled happily as his Pokemon formed the orb again after letting go of the earlier one. Dratini, being a Dragon-type and naturally knowing how to get that sort of energy of course had the edge as his Dragon Rage was somewhat bigger than the ball Charmander managed to form. However, Charmander wasn't far behind. Ash was surprised that he even managed to get that much dragon-type power so quick. Charmander did have dragon traits but it wasn't technically a dragon like Dratini.

Soon, he glanced at one of the trees where his Pidgeotto was perched up on. She too had been training and Ash had realized that she loved it. She didn't like to fall behind to her teammates and gave her all each time she trained. Ash had decided to just let her strengthen her current moves before he taught her another. Although he'd kept his eye on two moves that he wanted her to learn in the near future: Twister and Steel Wing. Those two moves would give her coverage against Rock-types that she needed, just in case she was pitted against one and didn't have a choice but to fight.

The training his Pokemon had gotten and the experienced he'd gained from fighting off multiple Beedrill throughout as well as battling trainers throughout their journey was something that would definitely help them. Most of the trainers he got to battle were ones which specialized in Bug-types and some who even lived in the forest. But he'd had his fair share of battles with trainers like himself and he'd gotten a chance to let all of his Pokemon participate and get a taste of what it would be like in their future battles, which were sure to be tougher than these.

"Ash," came a sweet call from Leaf. "Wanna have some stew I made?"

Ash nodded and smiled at his companion who'd joined him for his trip through Viridian Forest. "Hey guys," he shouted towards his Pokemon, who all looked at him. "Lets take a break."

As told, Pidgeotto flew gracefully from the branch she rested upon while Dratini and Charmander ran behind their trainer who'd started walking towards their campsite.

"Hey there Bulbasaur, Poliwag!" Ash waved to the two Pokemon of Leaf's who cried in response to him. They were quite the friendly Pokemon, he'd gotten to know after the time Leaf and he had spent traveling through the forest.

It wasn't long before Ash and Leaf had their lunch while the Pokemon were all fed along with them.

Over these past few days that they'd spent together, Dratini and Charmander had gotten pretty close. Dratini had started to get out of his shell and he didn't just attack anyone who he didn't like. Although, the occasional Dragon Breath when he was agitated didn't vanish, he had taken quite well to the group. And the best thing was that he seemed to be enjoying it.

Ash took a look at the Viridian Forest map and mused. "We'll be exiting the forest pretty soon."

Overjoyed at his last statement, Leaf, who sat next to him on the ground crawled closer and glanced into the map herself. "We're here?" she pointed her finger to one of the points on the map and looked up at Ash.

He nodded. "Yeah. I see that your map reading skills have improved." He let out a chuckle at the pout that his brown-haired friend showed. When they'd started, she hardly could tell where they were but she had definitely improved.

"So," Leaf began as she sat back straight. "How long will it take for us to reach Pewter City?"

Ash looked up at the sky as he thought about the answer. "I think we should be able to leave Viridian Forest by tomorrow and then," he paused as he wondered how long it could take for them to travel through Route 2 – the path between Viridian Forest and Pewter City. "Maybe it'll take us another two days from there to get to Pewter City. I am not sure about the time it would take us to cross Route 2." He admitted with a wry smile.

Leaf slumped her shoulders. "That long?!" she groaned. They had been in this forest for over a week and it had definitely tired her out.

"Don't complain so much," Ash warned as he hid a titter behind his stare. "If you ever say you're too tired and stall me, I'll simply leave you behind."

"You wouldn't!" Leaf rolled her eyes before giggling. She knew this boy better than most and she had full faith that he would never leave her in a situation where she could find herself in danger. She knew how caring Ash could be; she'd experienced his kindness throughout the days they'd been friends which was for as long as she could remember.

* * *

The group had just finished their lunch, their stomachs full as they all snugly rested on the grass. The Pokemon too, appeared to be having a rest as they sat under the warm sun, enjoying their time.

"Hey look, that's a Dratini!"

A voice shouted from one of the directions.

The sound was loud enough that it had grabbed everyone's attention. Ash and Leaf turned towards where the cry came from and they found a man, a woman and a cat-like Pokemon with a golden coin on its head, approaching them. These guys appeared somewhat weird, the duo of Ash and Leaf noted.

That was when Ash realized it. "Are they Team Rocket?" he frowned as he eyed their unusual clothes, which had one thing in common that would drag anyone's attention to it. There was a huge red-colored R painted on their vests.

"Team Rocket?!" Leaf cried in panic as soon as she heard Ash identify them. "Are they really those guys?!"

Their urgency was well justified. This was the same organization that had spread terror throughout Kanto and Johto in the past decade and their work had simply grown. Rumors had it that they had been experimenting with various Pokemon amongst other things. They had managed to avoid the Police so far, which just showed how efficient they were in what they did.

These guys were bad news. That much was certain.

"Dratini, Charmander, be ready!" Ash alerted his two Pokemon. The grins on the faces of the two member of Team Rocket had him grow wary of them. He wasn't sure what they could throw his way but he had to be ready. He was aware that they had started abducting Pokemon, especially the rare ones from trainers around the two regions. He had to be careful.

"Hey kid," The man with blue hair called as he came to a stop a few feet from Ash. "Hand your Pokemon over to us."

Ash didn't answer. He simply stared at them, fists clenched.

This time the woman with crimson hair spoke, her tone stern and grave. "If you won't give us to them, we'll simply have to take them away from you by force." She got out a Pokeball and challengingly held it forth.

"If you give us your Dratini, Charmander and Bulbasaur, we'll let you keep the other two."

Ash and Leaf's eyes almost popped out and their mouths became agape. The Meowth, a Pokemon had just spoken. They couldn't believe what they heard and only utter shock met them as that same cat Pokemon smirked at them.

"It spoke?" Ash mumbled in disbelief. He'd heard that a few Pokemon could use telepathy to converse with people but those were very high level psychic Pokemon. Not just had this Meowth talked, but it had talked through its mouth. This wasn't even telepathy. "That's absurd!" he yelled. He still couldn't come to terms with the Meowth speaking.

There was a few seconds of stalemate and absolute silence amongst them. Ash and Leaf's Pokemon growled at the three new figures who'd asked their trainers to surrender them. Dratini hissed as he crawled forward while Charmander pointed his claws and snarled at them in fury. Pidgeotto flapped her wings, showing that she was ready to take them on while Bulbasaur and Poliwag too, stood in front of their trainer, ready for a battle.

The purple-haired man flipped his hair and showed off the rose he held in his hand. "I guess you leave us no choice," he spoke in a gentle voice before he grabbed a Pokeball from his pocket and raised it. "Koffing, lets get this over with!" he howled, almost in a bored tone.

The woman with crimson hair and blue eyes shook her head. "How disappointed I am." She mumured and raised her own Pokeball to release her Pokemon.

Ash and Leaf watched with bathed breaths as the two Pokemon materialized on the ground. The one that emerged from the man's Pokeball was a purple, blob-like Pokemon that levitated in the air in front of its trainer. From the woman's ball came out a purple snake Pokemon that hissed and bared its fangs at the opposing Pokemon it saw.

"An Ekans and a Koffing," Leaf recognized the Pokemon but got ready to battle soon. "Bulbasaur, are you ready?" she inquired and received an answer with an earnest cry from her starter.

The Pokemon that had materialized had Ash think about a quick strategy. If these guys were really the vicious Team Rocket that had evaded the police for so long, this could be a really tough battle for him. He inhaled and closed his eyes before snapping them open at once. He was ready.

"Dratini, Dragon Breath on the Ekans!" he ordered before giving off another command. "Charmander, Ember at Koffing!"

"Razor Leaf on them, Bulbasaur!" Leaf cried.

"Let's show these pathetic twerps why you don't mess with Team Rocket!" The pink-haired woman yelled as the look in her eyes changing into one filled with fire. "Ekans, Poison Sting!"

"Koffing, use Sludge on those weaklings' Pokemon!" The man ordered while the Meowth sneered and just watched the battle unfold.

Draconic energy formed inside his mouth as Dratini began to charge for Dragon Breath and a few flames formed inside Charmander's maw. The greenish-blue energy from Dratini headed at Ekans while the flames of Charmander were aimed at the Koffing. The Ekans reared his head back to launch a flurry of purple stingers forward while Koffing fired a dark blue stentch of poison. The Ember took out Koffing's Sludge while the Dragon Breath annihilated the Poison Sting that were headed and then stung into Ekans, who gave out a cry. The blast that had formed due to the collision of Sludge and Ember too did damage to Koffing who was too close to the explosion.

Just as the two Pokemon of Team Rocket thought they might get a breather, several sharp and pointy leaves revolved around Leaf's Bulbasaur and headed straight for them. They cut the two Pokemon like knifes and left more bruises on them than they had already suffered. But those two poison-types were far from done. They both glared at their opponent and shot the same attacks again.

"How did they recover so fast!" Ash breathed out in shock. Both his Pokemon had been skewered by some of Ekans' Poison Sting while Bulbasaur took minor damage from Sludge.

Although, this first round had the Team Rocket members grit their teeth in rage.

"You have done it now kids!" The woman cried angrily. "Bite that Dratini and get your revenge!"

The man, although calmer than the woman, was in no less anger. "Koffing, Poison Gas all around them!"

Neither Charmander or Dratini took long to recover after the Poison Sting. They braced themselves to fight back as Ekans crawled through the ground and covered the distance between itself and Dratini while Koffing bawled and suddenly purple, poisonous smoke emerged from the holes in its body.

Ash though, remained confident in his Pokemon now that he had seen that his Pokemon were superior. "Blow that Poison Gas with Gust!" he ordered to Pidgeotto and she did just that.

The avian flapped her wings furiously, creating a vicious tornado of dust and grass that blew away all the Poison Gas that had been released from Koffing back towards them. Dratini didn't even need an order from his trainer to fight off the Ekans that headed towards him with an open jaw and sharp fangs dangerously pointed. The orb of blue energy formed in his mouth in almost no time before he fired off his Dragon Rage for the first time. The blue beam of draconian energy swept everything including the grass in its path before striking Ekans and leaving it in massive amount of injuries.

"Use your Dragon Rage on Koffing, Charmander!" Ash shouted for what he intended to be the finishing blow in this encounter with Team Rocket.

The same blue orb of Dragon-type power that he'd practiced so many times formed in Charmander's mouth before he aimed it right at the Koffing. The Poison Blob Pokemon had little time to react before the attack bathed him in burns and bruises. It collapsed on the ground and showed no signs of further movement.

The Team Rocket member had been stunned. They thought that they could easily defeat this duo of kids and take their Pokemon away but they had been proved wrong. They didn't even move for moments while their Pokemon lied on the ground unconsciously.

"These kids are strong." The strange Meowth said, narrowing his eyes.

The purple-haired man recalled his fainted Pokemon in its Pokeball before shooting off a glare in Ash's direction. "You've proved quite strong this time but if we meet next time, it will be your doom."

The woman too, let her Pokemon back in its Pokeball before she spat out furiously. "You damn kids won't get away with this!" After turning around to leave, she spoke one last time. "We are the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James and Meowth. Remember those names because we will be the ones to annihilate you next time we meet."

And with those words, the three simply strode off in the direction they came from. They were in the forest in a forest in a few seconds and everyone lost sight of the three.

Relief ran through his body as Ash sighed. "What a pain!" he groaned. "I wonder if they really were Team Rocket. They weren't even all that strong."

Leaf nodded in agreement. "Yeah. But we did have a lot more Pokemon than them so we had the advantage. "

Ash rolled his eyes as his forehead wrinkled. "Whatever, let's just get going." Team Rocket or not, he didn't care. As long as he was able to fend them off without much trouble, he didn't really care.

* * *

Ash and Leaf had walked for another day into the forest, getting ever so closer to the exit. They had just had their meal and resumed their trek when Ash came across something that caught his interest.

"What's that?!" Ash shouted in alarm as he saw something just around the bushes.

With a frown, Ash took quick steps towards the bush with a hand on one of his Pokeballs. As the bush hustled again, he let his Charmander emerge from his Pokeball, who yelped before he saw Ash looking gravely towards the trees and bushes at the side of the road. Leaf followed after Ash but an extended hand told her to stay still.

"Use Ember." Ash instructed his Fire-type and pointed towards the direction where he heard the noise.

Flames burst out from Charmander's mouth and headed in the direction where Ash told him to fire it. But just before one of the trees was caught in the Ember, an insectoid Pokemon with primarily green colored body, scythes for its hands and thin yet strong wings flew and dispersed the fire with the help of its scythes. Although, Charmander's attack wasn't as weak as to not even cause damage to the Pokemon that fought it off as made clear by the grimace and cry that left that Pokemon's mouth.

"A Scyther!" Ash gasped in surprise. He hadn't come across one so far in their trip through Viridian Forest and he had thought that he would never see one except for the one that Leaf chased after. A smirk appeared on Ash's face as he readied himself. "Let's catch it, Charmander!"

There was a gleeful look on Charmander's face as well. Not only was the prospect of having this Scyther as a teammate was what that enthralled him, but a battle with a strong Pokemon like that was something he wanted to have. He growled at the Scyther who fizzed back at him and dangerously pointed its scythes at him. He remained unfazed, though. He'd been through a lot to be scared of mere Pokemon now.

Leaf's eyes almost bugged out at something she spotted. "That's the same Scyther that I came across!" she shouted, pointing her finer at the Scyther's leg. "I can tell by the scar it has on its leg."

And indeed, just as Leaf pointed out, there was a small yet seep scar on the Scyther's right leg. "I hope you don't mind me catching it." He claimed but Leaf didn't even bother to answer.

"Use Ember again!" Ash ordered.

Hot orange flames shot across from Charmander's mouth and Scyther did what it had done just a while ago. It dispersed the flames but took damage from the Super-effective move. Suddenly, it flew across and almost disappeared, instantly appeared in front of Charmander and tackled it.

"That's Quick Attack!" Ash gritted his teeth at the sight of his Charmander taking some damage. "Metal Claw while its close!"

Charmander's claw glowed silver and became harder than steel. With the power that could break even boulders, he swiped the Scyther that was too close to dodge the attack. It flew to the other side before it wailed at the damage that it had taken on the abdomen.

"Ember again!" Ash ordered sharply. He'd come up with a basic strategy to use range attacks when the Scyther was away while using physically damaging attacks when it was close.

As Charmander fired another series of flames at the Mantis Pokemon, it used its speed and agility to fly up. Soon enough, its wings shone and became sharper as it descended at Charmander. The Fire-type managed to let out a few more flames right before the Scyther could hit it, but the Scyther fought through the pain to complete its Wing Attack.

The last move had done considerable damage to Charmander as well as Scyther. Both of those Pokemon had a few bruises and in Scyther's case, burns on their bodies as they panted heavily, clearly on the edge of their strengths.

However, only a grin crossed Ash's face. The sheer strength that this Scyther showed was something that Ash amazed. Even against a type disadvantage, it fought on equal terms with his Charmander. It was a high level Bug-type, Ash discerned. But it was now time to end this battle and have that Scyther for himself.

"Dragon Rage!" he called before his eyes bogged out in surprise. "Wait, Charmander!"

The draconic energy of the Dragon Rage had just began to form inside of Charmander when he was called to stop which he did.

The cries of the Pokemon that had just appeared out of the area that the Scyther defended had made Ash to have another thought at what he was about to do. Emerging from the bushes were two small Scyther that rushed towards the Scyther that Ash was aiming to capture. Ash watched with a realization as Scyther hissed to the two small ones and shielded them by standing in front of them.

Ash sighed in disappointment. "I can't do that. That would be just cruel." He just now realized why the Scyther had decided to fight off the Ember instead of dodging it, which it was easily capable of. It was just protecting its children. "Return Charmander, you did well." He raised Charmander's Pokeball who was sucked inside his ball in a flash of red light.

Leaf walked and stood next to Ash while gazing at the three Scyther. "Yeah. Those little ones won't survive without their mother."

Ash was quick to get out a potion from his backpack and walk towards the Scyther. Just as he approached the Scyther, she stared at him and buzzed threateningly. She clearly wanted Ash to stay away but the teenager knew better. In that injured state, she would have a hard time protecting its children and even if he got a scratch or two in healing the Pokemon, he didn't mind.

"Don't worry, Scyther," The amber-eyed boy assured the Pokemon with a calm smile. "I won't hurt you. This'll make you feel better."

He slowly bent down and extended the hand in which he held the potion near Scyther. The two little ones hid themselves behind their mother and only peeked out when nothing came their way for a few moments. The Scyther though didn't stop its fizzing; she wouldn't let anyone come near her or her kids.

However, Ash collected the courage and slowly sprayed the potion over the wound that Charmander had given her with his Metal Claw. At the burning sensation that she felt, Scyther closed her eyes and wearily slashed the air with her scythes. Luckily for Ash, he was far enough to just be out of the range of the scythes. That had made his heartbeat rise; he was close to being slashed.

As a few seconds passed, the Scyther calmed down and her eyes suddenly opened. She looked at the injury where Ash had applied the medicine and while the injury was still there, the pain had considerably lessened in a matter of seconds. She just gazed at Ash with wide open eyes wondering what magic this strange boy had done.

"See?" Ash said before he advanced a step and sprayed some of the healing potion at the burns that her scythe had. As the Scyther just sat there without attacking him, he sprayed the potion at the remaining visible injuries as well. "You'll feel better soon. Just take it easy for the day."

Next, Ash dug into his backpack and got some Pokemon food out of it. He steadily placed it in front of the three Scyther. "That's some Pokemon food specially made for Bug-types. I am sure you'll like it." He'd bought some Bug-type specialized food in Viridian Forest to feed the Bug-type Pokemon he might've caught but since that hadn't happen, he figured it would be better to let these guys have it.

As he stepped back and rose up, the two little Scyther had begun to sniff the Pokemon food that he placed and in no time, they had taken a liking to it and began eating it. Their mother joined them soon enough and she took appeared to have liked it.

Ash smiled gently and waved at the Scyther, an act which was followed by Leaf before they continued on in their journey. Well, he might not have been able to catch the Scyther but at least he had a good battle. But he was really happy because of the fact that he was able to help a Pokemon and considering that it was his own fault to fight that Scyther in the first place, he felt as if it was his duty to set things right.

Helping Pokemon was something he would never stop doing.

* * *

Finally, they had reached the end. After long and tiring days of traveling through the deep forest which was Viridian, Ash and Leaf now finally breathed the outside air. The Viridian Forest had brought them many challenges; from trainers to Team Rocket; from Beedrill to the Scyther. But they had managed to fight off and complete their trip through the biggest forest in the region of Kanto. Now, they stood at a road which wasn't completely surrounded by gloomy trees and where there were a number of different Pokemon than a multitude for Bug-types.

"We're finally outside." Leaf spoke in a relieved tone, eyes containing sheen that showed how amazing she felt outside. She looked at the sky and closed her eyes to get a feel of how life outside Viridian Forest would treat her.

Ash smiled as he glanced at his excited friend. "We definitely are."

He too was relieved to be outside. He had gotten to get a lot out of his journey through the daunting forest but they had been in for so long that being outside felt awesome. The trees inside the Viridian Forest were just different; they were a habitat for Bug-type Pokemon and their silence did feel creepy at times.

"Should we continue now?" Leaf asked curiously. It was evening but there was still time till sunset so her question was valid.

Ash's reply was instant. "Yeah. We can still travel for another few hours. We have to make it quick so that we can reach Pewter City by tomorrow."

A nod came from Leaf along with an agreeing smile. "Let's go then!" She skipped a few steps taking a lead on Ash, who simply shook his head at the girl's excitement.

* * *

Another two days journey and the duo had reached Pewter City, also known as the City of Boulders. Just a look at the city from here told them how different this was from any other city or town they had come across. Many of the houses they could see from the entrance were made up of rocks instead of the newly cemented ones. There were quite a number of cemented building that came into their sight as well, which was because of the recent development.

Pewter City wasn't the fully boulder-made city that it was until a few years back but there still remained some rocky houses which showed their culture.

They were tired after their long trip and headed straight to the Pokemon Center. There, they had got their Pokemon healed up and then rented only one room. That was something which Ash at first wasn't too comfortable with but then agreed to since they would have different beds. He wouldn't want to be stuck with Leaf and him sharing the same bed. Many things could happen and he didn't want to think about the different possibilities.

The sight of the comfy beds brought glitter to their eyes as Ash and Leaf both jumped at the two beds in the room. The amazing feeling of resting on a bed like this had evaded them for too long now and they wanted to get a good, long feel of it again.

Especially Leaf. It wasn't that she hated her journey outside but while sleeping, she preferred to sleep inside walls on a nice, warm bed.

"Finally," Leaf breathed out as she laid on the bed, her hands thrown wide on the bed in comfort. "This is just so much better, isn't it?"

He shared the feeling. "Sleep will definitely be better here."

"Even better if I could use you as my hug pillow." The girl muttered lowly as she looked at the pillow beside her.

The little whisper was caught by Ash, although he couldn't hear what she'd said. "Did you say something?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

Leaf rolled her eyes and replied plainly. "No. Not at all."

The two comfily laid on the bed for a few minutes, letting some of their exhaustion disappear. They really loved to rest on the soft and cozy bed instead of their sleeping bags after some time. The bed was just so much more pleasant.

"So," Leaf began and broke the long silence that had shrouded the room. "Have you come up with a strategy for the Gym battle?"

Ash opened his eyes and gazed at the ceiling. "Pretty much." He turned his eyes to the girl on the bed beside his own. "What about you?"

"I," She didn't utter another word for a few more moments, just staring off in her train of thoughts. "I am not sure if I want to participate in the Pokemon League."

Her reply was one that had Ash sit up from his lying position in an instant. "What do you mean?" His mouth was open in shock of what Leaf had just unveiled. He'd always thought that she wanted to become a Pokemon trainer and this was something that he never thought he would be hearing from her.

"Well, I was planning on becoming a trainer," Leaf turned to face Ash, still lying on the bed. "But after I began my journey and fought a few Pokemon battles, I realized that it wasn't something that I enjoyed as much as you or Gary or some of the others." She explained. "I did find battling to be fun at the start but as I fought a few more trainers, I wasn't enjoying it as much. I don't know if I am passionate enough in battling."

A few more seconds passed as Ash remained silent. He let the words that Leaf spoke sink in before he eventually nodded. "I guess I'll have to take you off my rival list then." He smiled at her. He respected her decision. Everyone didn't like to battle with their Pokemon as much as he did and he knew that there were many other things she could do.

"For Pokemon battles, yeah." The brunette said as she hugged one of the pillows.

"Have you decided on what you're gonna do then?" he asked, clearly curious to what her choice would be, now that she'd decided against being a Pokemon trainer. "A Pokemon Coordinator maybe?"

"Maybe." She answered unsurely. "I am not really sure about it right now. I think I'll just take some time traveling and find something I love."

"I sure hope you do." He winked at her in glee. "Or else you'll be left behind us."

"Come on, Ash," Leaf giggled. "You know me better than that."

"I guess I do."

* * *

As Ash stood in front of two massive doors that led to a fully rock-made Gym, he closed his eyes. He had done all the preparations that he thought he needed to do. He already knew about the type that Pewter Gym specialized in and had got the name of the Gym Leader from Nurse Joy. But most importantly, he had prepared his Pokemon to face Rock-type Pokemon of the Pewter Gym. If there was one thing that his Pokemon were weak against at this point, it was Rock-types.

He'd already decided on a strategy. His Dratini could use Aqua Jet which would be his most lethal weapon in this fight and Charmander's Metal Claw would also be of great use. Those were the two Pokemon he'd decided to use against the Gym Leader, Brock. He couldn't even think of using Pidgeotto. She had no moves to counter her Rock-type weakness. She didn't even have a move that would be normally damaging. Her Normal and Flying-type moves would do minimal damage and she wouldn't be able to help him much in this match.

After a long thought about his strategy once again, Ash calmly opened his eyes and approached the rocky doors. As he pushed them open, he realized that they were surprisingly easy to push considering their size. As he stepped in, a simple battlefield came into his sight but what had his eyes watching was a tan skinned young man, probably a few years older than Ash, wearing a green vest sitting on boulder at the other side of the field.

As he made his way inside the Gym followed by Leaf, the man who was probably the Gym Leader closed the book he had been reading and looked up. "Are you a challenger?" he asked, his face retaining the same expression.

Ash nodded. "Yes, are you the Gym Leader?"

The tanned man simply stood up from his position and walked forward. "I am Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader."

"I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I challenge you to a Pokemon battle for the Boulder Badge." Ash called with confidence brimming in his tone. He'd done his research on his long awaited first official Gym battle and he was sure that the preparation he'd done would reap rewards.

"I accept your challenge, Ash Ketchum." Brock said before he brought forth a Pokeball. "If you are here to watch the match," he shifted his gaze to Leaf who stood by Ash's side. "Then you should watch it from up there."

Leaf obliged and walked to where Brock pointed and right then, a young boy, similar looking to Brock appeared and stood between the battlefield in the referee zone.

"This Pewter City Gym match between Brock, the Gym Leader and Ash, the Challenger will be a two-on-two battle." He voiced the rules and waited for Ash to give a nod of affirmation, which he did. "Only the trainer will be allowed to substitute Pokemon. Begin!" he shouted as he raised the only flag in his hand.

"Geodude, come forth for battle!" Brock roared as his Pokeball snapped open and a grey-colored Pokemon with a boulder-like face and two hands materialized. The Pokemon shreiked as it looked down at Ash and waited for his opponent to be chosen.

"A Geodude to start, huh?" Ash mumbled and unclipped one of his three Pokeballs from his belt. "You're up, Charmander!" With his claws pointed at his opponent, Charmander took to the field and cried, ready for battle.

"You're brave to use a Fire-type against my Geodude." Brock said gravely. His voice contained no form of jest whatsoever.

From just taking a look at the Geodude, Ash could tell that it had been raised well. This wasn't going to be an easy battle, not with Charmander being at the disadvantage that he was. Ash had to be careful here. He'd already realized that this Gym match would be his toughest battle on his journey yet.

"Charmander, Metal Claw!" Ash commanded. He wasted no time to call for the move that he supposed would be the most effective from Charmander's arsenal against Rock-types.

"Rock Throw!" came Brock's own command.

Charmander ran forward and just as he did, his claws became a little larger and shone with metallic energy. As he charged, Geodude jumped up and then smacked the ground with one of its fists. The ground shook before the rocks that had risen from it made their way towards Charmander. The Fire-type though was ready as he managed to fight off all the rocks with the help of his Metal Claw. However, that meant Geodude could retreat and he wouldn't have the time to strike his original target.

"Now Magnitude!" Brock called out loudly.

Ash gritted his teeth at that move. This was something Charmander wouldn't be able to avoid. But he still had one move that could help him in this situation. "Quickly use Dragon Rage on the ground. You can't take damage from that move!" he cried alarmingly.

As a brown aura covered Geodude's body, Charmander formed a draconic blue orb of energy in his mouth. Right when Geodude slammed his entire body on the ground, Charmander did as he was told and fired the blue beam on the ground. The ground shook at the power of the Magnitude and it caused Ash to almost lose his balance. But he stood his ground, just like his Charmander had managed to avoid this super effective move.

Ash grinned. "Awesome Charmander!"

Brock was left speechless from the tactic Ash had pulled off to avoid Magnitude. He couldn't believe that Charmander was now flying by firing off his Dragon Rage on the ground, whose power had let for him to gain flight. He came back to his senses when Charmander jumped back onto the ground but the Magnitude had already stopped by then.

"That was quite skillful, I must say." Brock complimented with an ever so slight smile. "But simply evading these attacks won't get you anywhere. Geodude use Rock Throw!"

What Brock just said was true and Ash knew that. Charmander's two attacks that would do the most damage to Geodude were Metal Claw and Dragon Rage. And for them to hit, he might have to let Charmander take a hit or two.

"Dragon Rage!" Ash called, his mind completely driven by the battle he was in. "Make sure it gets to Geodude!"

Like earlier, Geodude had already slammed its fist into the earth to cause some rocks to fly in front of it, which eventually headed for Charmander. But Charmander was ready. He fired off the Dragon-type move in Geodude direction and that meant that he couldn't avoid the incoming rocks. He cried off in pain of the rocks striking him on various spots but Geodude also suffered considerable damage from his Dragon Rage. He'd worked hard on it and he wouldn't want his opponent to get away with only minor damage from that move.

"That's quite a strong Dragon Rage." Brock mused with a satisfied smile. He didn't come across trainers who would put up a good show using their Fire-types too often. "It seems like we'll have to use it. Rollout!"

That move made Ash's eyes widen. He got himself back when the Geodude curled itself into a ball and began to roll fiercely towards Charmander. "Fight it off with Metal Claw!"

When the rolling Geodude was close enough, Charmander slashed it with his steel-like claws. The Geodude though wasn't fazed much as it simply rolled back even after taking the damage.

Ash narrowed his eyes when he realized that Brock would be continuing with the same move. And he knew that tactic. Rollout's power increased as the Pokemon using the move gained momentum and the longer Geodude charged, the stronger the damage it would do. As the Geodude neared Charmander again, Ash shouted. "Metal Claw again!"

And just like before, Charmander's silver claws slashed onto the Geodude who rolled. But the stronger move had pushed Charmander back even though his Metal Claw was successful.

Ash gritted his teeth. This could get bad for him. Geodude had taken considerable damage from the Dragon Rage and the Metal Claw that Charmander hit it with but it showed no signs of stopping its Rollout. And the power of the move kept on increasing. His Charmander could be in trouble.

"Dragon Rage now!" Ash shouted, desperation evident in his tone.

Right when Geodude closed in on him again, Charmander formed the blue orb of draconic energy in his mouth before he shot it off at Geodude who was no more than two feet away. The Dragon Rage burned into it and almost stopped its Rollout. Almost. The Boulder Pokemon though, fought through the many bruises that it had suffered and kept on rolling and struck Charmander, whose eyes widened as he was struck right in the gut.

The super-effective move left Charmander let out a loud grunt while Geodude kept rolling and crashed into one of the walls of the Gym. Charmander's eyes closed as he collapsed on the ground and showed no movement. He had fainted. But he had taken his foe with him. Geodude didn't seem like it would get up either.

The boy acting as the referee glanced between the two Pokemon before he raised both his hands. "Both Geodude and Charmander are unable to battle."

With a sigh, Brock raised his Geodude's Pokeball and recalled the Pokemon. He mumbled some words of praise to his Rock-type before he smiled as he shifted his gaze to Ash again. "I have to commend you, Ash. To have to take out my Geodude with a Fire-type like Charmander, you have trained your Pokemon well."

Ash called his Charmander back before he replied. "Thanks." He unclipped his seconds Pokeball and smirked at Brock. "This next battle will be much quicker."

Brock raised an eyebrow in amusement to Ash's confident comment. "You seem pretty confident in your next Pokemon."

"Well, he is my starter and he isn't weak to Rock-types like Charmander is." Ash replied with a defiant expression on his face.

As the referee threw his hands up, the energy beamed from both the sides of the field. The Pokemon that stood in front of either of the trainers resembled snakes. But the biggest difference could be seen in their size. One towered almost thirty feet from the ground and while the other was a hardly five feet long. On Brock's side had materialized a Pokemon which had a body made of chains of rocks and a grey horn on its head. The Pokemon roared out before slamming its tail on the field, the debris rising from the ground.

"Well, this'll be good." Ash smirked as he eyed the massive Onix that Brock had chosen. His look changed to one of determination soon enough though. "Dratini, Dragon Breath!"

At first, Brock was quite amazed at the Pokemon Ash had chosen. A Dratini wasn't a Pokemon one laid eyes on everyday and he was definitely impressed by the Dratini that looked to be in the best shape it could be.

Ash's call had brought him back to his senses as he yelled. "Rock Thorw!"

A greenish-blue beam of draconic energy collected itself in Dratini's mouth while Onix slammed its tail on the ground once again, this time with much more power which was enough to cause the ground to shake. The rocks that rose from the ground were aimed to do damage to Dratini but he was sharp. Sharp enough to blow them all away with his Dragon Breath before firing another one. The back to back attacks had taken Onix by surprise and it couldn't move out of the way in time. The massive Rock-type bawled out at the first damage it suffered in the match.

Brock was impressed yet again. This Dratini wasn't simply in good shape, it had a lot of power as well.

To take advantage of the lead he'd gotten, Ash yelled to his Pokemon. "Aqua Jet!"

Brock's eyes widened at the call of that move. At first he thought that it might be a bluff but his fears came true when Dratini's body became surrounded in a veil of water. "Iron Tail to fight it off!"

Dratini launched himself at Onix, body covered in blue water that swirled around at amazing speed and struck the huge Pokemon with the super-effective move. The water spilled around the point of impact and caused massive amounts of damage to Brock's Onix as signified by the cry of agony that it gave out. It wasn't going to give up so easily though as its tail shone silver and metallic aura swirled around it. It fought the pain slammed its Iron Tail down at Dratini, crashing the Dragon-type on the ground.

"Dratini, hang in there!" Ash shouted out in concern for his starter. That Iron Tail had done a lot of damage to Dratini but he knew he needed to remain calm. He took a deep breath and then gave out another order. "Dragon Rage right at it!"

"Rock Tomb!" Brock commanded, slipping into the intensity of the battle.

The Pokemon on the field breathed heavily; they both had suffered some damage and they realized that the battle was on its last stage. As the commands from their trainers came, they both began to charge for their attacks – Dratini formed the draconic blue ball in his mouth while Onix summoned several stones around its head that had gained a silver outline.

At once, they let their attacks rip. Dratini's Dragon Rage was the first to strike and send Onix tumbling on the ground. But Onix's Romb Tomb landed on its mark too, all the rocks crashing into Dratini who let out cries of pain as the flurry of rocks that smashed into his skin.

Ash and Brock gritted their teeth. This has been one intense battle and much tougher than either of them previously imagined. Brock as well as Ash thought they would win this round much comfortably, without it ever coming to this point. However, they both smirked as they glanced at one another. No matter what, this had been one amazing battle and they both acknowledged that.

Though, Ash knew that he had this in the bag. "Let's finish this! Aqua Jet!"

A shaky Dratini recovered himself and locked his eyes at his target before his body surrounded itself into a swirling jet of water. Onix had just gotten back a little bit its eyes widened when Dratini smashed into it with its Aqua Jet. The massive Rock Snake Pokemon roared one final time before it collapsed on the ground; its huge weight causing the entire ground to tremble.

But that was the last thing Onix did. It had run out of energy as it laid on the Gym floor unconscious and with no movement. Dratini gave into his exhaustion and collapsed on the ground too, but he was still very much able to battle. He had won an amazing battle.

The kid acting as the referee shook himself out of the shock of Brock's Onix being defeated when its opponent was not a Water or Grass-type. Almost all of the victories that trainers got against Brock's Onix was because they had a huge type advantage against it.

"Onix is unable to battle. The winner of this round and the Gym battle is the challenger!" The tanned boy raised the only flag in his hand towards Ash and declared.

"You were awesome, Ash!" Leaf ran from where she'd been told to watch and chimed getting a grin in response from Ash.

The victorious trainer though had taken his Dratini in his arms and began to pet him. "That was amazing, Dratini." He complimented with a gentle smile. The response from Dratini was nothing but a hiss before he curled himself around and closed his eyes. "Take a rest." With those words, Ash tapped Dratini with his Pokeball and let his starter get a well deserved rest in his Pokeball.

On the other side of the field, Brock had rested his fallen Pokemon in its Pokeball as well. The Gym Leader walked across with a genuine smile on his face. "You're a really good trainer, Ash." He commended the young man who he now stood in front of.

Ash chuckled at the praise of the Gym Leader. "Thanks Brock. I thought I would have an easier time with Dratini than I did. Your Pokemon are quite strong too."

Brock nodded before he dug into his pocket and removed an octagonal grey-colored stone that shone. He held the stone-like Gym badge forward. "You've truly earned the Boulder Badge, Ash."

With eyes glittering, Ash gladly accepted the Boulder badge from Brock. He gazed at it in absolute joy. He'd earned his first official Gym badge. He'd battled with his own Pokemon and thoroughly won against his opponent in a battle that had gotten to wire. The joy he felt was indescribable. The Pokemon that he had trained on his own, the Pokemon that he had caught had won him his first ever Gym battle. This was a moment that he would cherish and he was sure his Pokemon would too.

* * *

"That Pokemon?" Ash narrowed his eyes at the sight of a white Pokemon with green hair that resembled a bowl cut.

He ran towards the injured Pokemon that had two flat red horns, a large one at the front and a smaller one at the back. There were many bruises all around the Pokemon's body and blood dripped through some of the cuts. The Pokemon that Ash held in his hands still breathed but it was evident that it wasn't in good shape. It needed immediate attention.

The first thing he did was quickly got out two potions and wasted no time in spraying them on the wounds on the Pokemon's body. As he finished, he wondered about the question that had hovered in his head since the moment he laid eyes on the Pokemon. "What's a Ralts doing here?" he thought out loud about the Psychic and Fairy-type native to the Hoenn region that laid in front of him.

* * *

 **Sorry for ending it on a cliffhanger but if I completed that, the chapter would've stretched out too much.**

 **Anyways, how was the chapter? Tell me anything and everything you thought in the reviews.**

 **I made Brock stronger and more of a challenge for Ash so I hope you guys liked that battle. Also, I attempted to make TRio more competent and not a comic relief. They probably will come out stronger.**


	4. Road to Cerulean

_**Road to Cerulean**_

* * *

 **Hey guys, how are you all? It's been a little more than a week since I updated this story. I wanted to post this chapter a few days earlier but wasn't able to.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Also, I wish you a Happy New Year!**

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Ash asked the brunette in front of him. He was concerned about Leaf and how she would do traveling alone. After the way she met him in the Viridian Forest, he was right to be worried. She could get herself into a load of trouble.

Leaf had decided that she wanted to spend some more time in Pewter City, visiting the Musuem in the City of Boulders. That she said would also give her some time to think about what she needed to do. She thought that it would be best to have her goal in mind before she advanced any further. She wanted to know what she would want to do before she traveled through the region.

Even though Ash was worried about her doing that, he agreed with her. There was no point in going around Kanto from city to city if she wasn't sure what she would like to be. It could be difficult for her to think about her goal while she traveled and much easier if she stayed at one place. She would also have access to exploring a few things she could do. She'd already told him that she did have a few things in mind that she wanted to try out.

Ideally, Ash would have liked for Leaf to be a trainer like him. He'd always thought that he along with Gary and Leaf would be able to compete against each other as Pokemon trainers. But that wasn't to be. Although he was happy that Leaf followed what her heart told her to instead of simply continuing as a Pokemon trainer like she had intended.

When he thought if he might face a situation like that, he felt the chills. He didn't even want to think about him being anything but a Pokemon trainer. Unlike Leaf, he enjoyed training and battling alongside his Pokemon the most. That was his undying passion and it had been since his early childhood. He'd always had a one tracked mind about that matter.

"Yeah Ash," Leaf nodded and grinned at Ash. "It's nice to know that you are actually worried about me though."

"Well," he began and took his gaze away from Leaf as his cheeks turned the slightest hue of red. "I do care about you… somewhat." He was never good at these things. He would never come out and admit just how much he cared about his friends. He was the type to hide such feelings instead of showing them to everyone.

"Somewhat, huh?" Leaf leaned forward, her hands on her hips. She couldn't help but giggle when Ash tried to avoid her stare though. "It's good to hear that you do, at least." She muttered as she stood back straight and her tone turned sweeter.

"What are you gonna do, then?" Ash gave her a quizzical look. "Are you gonna stay here in Pewter City or go back to Viridian?"

Putting a hand on her chin, Leaf thought about the question. "I'll stay in Pewter City for a while," she smiled as she brought her gaze back to Ash. "I am not too fond of traveling through Viridian Forest over and over again, you know?"

"As expected," Ash chuckled and shook his head. There would barely be any girls he knew who would want to be in Viridian Forest more than they had to. It was bug-filled and to his knowledge, most girls found them creepy. He could recall a few who wouldn't but most of them would. "I can't see you having the courage to do so."

Instantly, Leaf pouted at the statement Ash made. "What do you mean?" she folded her arms and looked away. "It's just that I don't feel like doing it, not that I am scared or anything."

Ash furrowed an eyebrow but soon, his expression neutralized. "I guess so,"

"You're going to challenge the Cerulean Gym next, right?" she questioned curiously. She was aware that Cerulean City was the closest City and since Ash told him that he was going to make his way through Mt. Moon, Cerulean was the one that Ash would reach next. However, knowing Ash as well as she did, she couldn't quite be sure if he would go that way or simply go to another Gym. She rolled her eyes when she realized that the chances of that happening were pretty low.

Ash snapped her out of her train of thoughts with his answer. "Yeah, that's the closest Gym. Which other Gym could I challenge before that?" They had read about the Gym around Kanto together and Leaf knew that it was the next city, which made Ash wonder about the ridiculous question she'd asked. He clutched onto the strap of his backpack. "Well," he started, turning around a little. "I should be on my way now."

Leaf heart began beating faster at that moment. She didn't want to leave Ash now that they'd met in the Viridian Forest. But she understood that she didn't have a goal in mind and she shouldn't be making Ash wait just because of her. She'd always known how important his journey was to Ash and now traveling with him for a few days, she also learned how much training his Pokemon meant to him.

She clasped her hands in front of her chest, her eyeballs growing. "Take care, Ash," she whispered. Suddenly, she took her childhood friend by surprise when she embraced him, wrapping her hands around his shoulders and burying her face in his chest.

Ash was taken aback by the abrupt hug that he received from Leaf. Soon enough though, he wrapped his own arms around the girl. "You too," he said softly. He wasn't uneasy but the grown breast of Leaf against his chest was something he didn't feel too comfortable about. Leaf had hugged him many times in the past but this was the first in a while. The last time she did, her boobs couldn't be felt like they could now.

They remained that way for a few more moments before Leaf eventually stood back straight. She moved a few strands of hair from her face and gazed at Ash in the eyes. "I might actually miss you, you know?" A smile made its way to her pretty face.

Ash's lips parted for a moment or two, unable to find the right words to speak. "I hope you don't," he smiled back wryly at her. "We might not meet for a while now."

"Don't be so negative," Leaf giggled in her usual tone. "I am sure we'll meet soon."

"A lack of goal hasn't done anything to your optimism, I see," Ash smirked before he let out a titter.

"You can't get anything without having the motivation." Leaf said, raising a finger in front of Ash, which she used to poke his nose playfully.

Ash took a step back, not letting Leaf do any more poking to his face. "That's true, I guess." The raven-haired teenager turned around and glanced at Leaf from his shoulder one last time. "Best of luck, Leaf, I hope you don't wander into dangerous situations like you usually do."

"I won't, I promise." Leaf giggled and waved at her best friend. She was sad that he was leaving but she decided to push that feeling away and look forward to what life held for her. She had a lot to think about her goal, after all. Next time she saw Ash, she wanted him to be impressed.

* * *

A few hours had already passed since Ash left Pewter City to continue his journey. His next destination was Mt. Moon and he currently strolled through the roads of Route 3, which was the route between Pewter City and Mt. Moon. So far, his walk had been rather uneventful, only encountering a few wild Pokemon which he didn't bother to disturb.

A look at his watch told him that he should be taking a break soon. He had covered some distance and he did feel somewhat tired due to walking in the heat as well as making his way up the slope. However, he decided to trek a little more before he did take a break. He reckoned that he could walk for an hour or so more before really feeling any exhaustion.

Right then, Ash's eyes found something, something that caught his attention instantly."That Pokemon?" Ash narrowed his eyes at the sight of a white Pokemon with green hair that resembled a bowl cut.

He ran towards the injured Pokemon that had two flat red horns, a large one at the front and a smaller one at the back. There were many bruises all around the Pokemon's body and blood dripped through some of the cuts. He grimaced when he realized how deep some of the cuts were. The Pokemon that Ash held in his hands still breathed but it was evident that it wasn't in good shape. He put all the thoughts and questions that his mind held about the Pokemon aside for the time being. This Pokemon needed immediate attention.

The first thing he did was quickly got out two potions and wasted no time in spraying them on the wounds on the Pokemon's body. As he finished, he wondered about the question that had hovered in his head since the moment he laid eyes on the Pokemon. "What's a Ralts doing here?" he thought out loud about the Psychic and Fairy-type native to the Hoenn region that lied in front of him.

This was a Pokemon that wasn't found too easily in the Kanto region. The Ralts line of Pokemon found it much comfortable to live in regions like Hoenn and Sinnoh, the former being the region that resided these Pokemon the most. Although, it wasn't completely weird for them to be spotted in Kanto, it wasn't too common. The other question that troubled Ash was why the Ralts was in such a condition. He could discern that it had been attacked by some wild Pokemon but this species typically stayed away from conflicts. Or so he'd learned.

He glanced back at the Ralts and placed a hand on the Pokemon's head. It didn't have a fever as Ash initially thought it did. The wounds were still there but he could tell that its breathing had become much better than what it was a few minutes ago before he applied the potions. The potions wouldn't be enough to completely heal the Pokemon though. It needed to be taken to the Pokemon Center.

He frowned when he realized that the Mt. Moon Pokemon Center was still far away. He'd have to do something else. He thought about it for a minute before he sighed, deciding to do what was best. He would have to take the Ralts to the Pewter City Pokemon Center. He didn't want to go back there and make it all the way here again but he had no other choice. The injuries that the little Pokemon had suffered were far too severe to be expected to heal on their own. He wasn't the best at medicine either so he had to do it.

He would wait a little while to see let the Ralts recover a little from its injuries, however.

A few more minutes had gone by but the Ralts still remained unconscious. The blood had stopped coming out of its body though and it looked a little bit better than before.

Ash nodded to himself as he stood up. He wore his backpack that was on the ground and bent down to pick up the Ralts. Just as he was about to pick it up though, he heard someone calling.

"Ralts!" The voice shouted. The same voice screamed for the same name again and this time, it appeared that the one that the voice belonged to was coming in his direction.

Ash narrowed his eyes, looking in the direction that the shout came from. And soon enough, he could see a person – a young woman – running towards where he stood. The woman appeared as if she had seen him as well as the Pokemon that laid beside him as she scurried towards them as fast as she could, her eyes wide.

Ash simply watched the fair-skinned blonde woman sit next to Ralts. The woman appeared worried, he noted. After a few seconds, the woman who looked as if she was in her late teens or early twenties turned her gaze to him.

"Thank you for taking care of Ralts," she flashed him a grateful smile, although the expression of concern still remained dormant on her features.

"You don't need to thank me," Ash said, taking a seat next to Ralts himself. "So," he furrowed his brow after he had a look at Ralts and looked up at the woman again. "Is this Ralts yours?"

The woman instantly shook her head. "No," she denied. "Ralts is not my Pokemon. Although it has been staying with me for about two months," she continued after Ash gave her a nod. "You see, I found Ralts about two months ago. I was out picking some herbs when I stumbled across it in the forest. It was injured and it had bruises all over its body. In fact, it was in a similar condition like it is now."

Ash wrinkled his forehead as he took what she said in his brain. In other words, the Ralts had a tendency to get into situations like this. That was completely different from what he'd read about the species. "So you've been taking care of the Ralts ever since then?"

The woman nodded. "That's about right,"

Just then, the Ralts grunted and shifted itself on the ground. Its eyes still remained closed but it appeared as if it was waking up. Although, it seemed in pain.

The woman looked at the Feeling Pokemon and quickly picked up the Ralts from the ground. "We need to treat its wounds. You can come with me, if you want," The woman suggested before she stood up with Ralts in her arms.

Ash thought about it for a moment before he nodded. He was quite interested in the Ralts and he wanted to hear more about it. The Ralts was completely different from how he thought they acted so it was definitely worth spending some time on. Besides, he would have been thinking about the condition the Ralts was in if he went on his way without being assured of how the Pokemon's condition remained.

* * *

The Ralts looked much better, Ash observed. It was breathing much easier now and a lot of its injuries had been healed. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at the woman that had just taken a seat in front of him.

After Ash followed the woman along with Ralts to her house, she informed him that she made Pokemon medicine using herbs. He was quite impressed by the collection of herbal plants that Tasha – the woman that came looking for Ralts – had outside her house. He didn't know much about the different herbal plants but the variety was evident even to someone who would be ignorant to such things.

The way Tasha treated Ralts with the medicine she made from fresh herbs was also something Ash found quite fascinating. The medicine also showed quick effects, healing most of Ralts major wounds very quickly. Ralts waking up and feeling better was a sign of the successful treatment.

He'd wanted to leave soon after Tasha assured him that the Ralts would be completely recovered in about a day or two but the blonde woman urged him to stay a while longer. She said she wanted him to have a rest and also show him some of her herbs as thanks for giving Ralts some emergency treatment.

The idea of learning more about the herbs that Tasha grew compelled Ash and he didn't take long to accept her offer. This was something that might just come in quite handy in his journey. Having a way to give some treatment to his Pokemon aside from the usual potions and antidotes would be pretty good if he found himself in a dire situation with an injured Pokemon, be it his or wild or even someone else's.

"Ralts' recovering well," Tasha commented in relief, a smile plastered on her face.

Ash beamed at her. "It is," he agreed. "You'd make quite a good doctor."

At the comment Ash made, Tasha first blinked for a few seconds before she laughed at the suggestion. "No, no," she waved her hands in front of her face. "I am good at growing these herbs and making a few medicines but I can't be a doctor."

"You treated Ralts well enough so why can't you?" Ash asked, taking another sip of the amazing coffee that Tasha gave him.

"Making those little medicine is just something you learn when you do what I do all the time," she said. "It's no big deal really."

"You're too modest," Ash chuckled and shook his head. "Your talent is just wasted here. You could grow these herbs somewhere close to the city and be a doctor. I really mean it."

"No, you're just too polite," she giggled cheerfully and glanced at Ralts who appeared to be fast asleep. "Anyway Ash, I was wondering," she began, her gaze fixed at the floor before she brought it back to Ash. "Would you mind taking Ralts with you?"

Ash frowned at the offer that Tasha proposed. He wasn't quite sure how to answer it. It would be amazing to have Ralts with him but he couldn't understand the reason why Tasha would suddenly tell him to take Ralts out of the blue like this. Even though he would love to have Ralts, he was also skeptical whether Ralts would even come with him after staying with Tasha. He could tell how much Tasha cared for Ralts and he was sure that it must've been attached to her just as much.

"What do you mean?" Ash finally mouthed.

Tasha stood up and walked up to the bed where the Psychic and Fairy-type Pokemon rested. "Would you mind having Ralts as one of your Pokemon?" she asked as she petted the Pokemon concerned. As she didn't receive an answer from Ash, she turned her eyes to him. "You see Ash, this is not the only time this has happened to Ralts after I found it." She explained seriously. "Often times, Ralts just disappears from the house. Sometimes, it comes back safe but more often than not, it's injured or poisoned. I have never seen it fight a Pokemon before but it just keeps on getting these injuries. I don't want this to happen to Ralts anymore." She gazed at Ash in the eyes and clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "So please Ash, take it with you."

Now, Ash was sure that something was weird about this Ralts. No Pokemon would want to get into trouble and get beaten up. "I would be happy to have Ralts as my Pokemon but," he sighed and continued. "But I am not sure if it will come with me."

"Come with you?" Tasha tilted her head.

"I don't want to force Ralts to come with me if it wants to stay here. I just won't feel like Ralts will be happy that way," he put forth his thoughts.

"But that's not important that Ralts' safety!" Tasha all but shouted. She inhaled, calming herself down as she stepped towards Ash. "Even I want Ralts to stay here but I can't protect it. Please Ash," she requested, her expression displaying just what she meant. "Do it for Ralts; for its safety."

Ash knitted his eyebrows. "Alright," he said as a gentle smile crept up to his face. Ralts would be an amazing addition to his team although he just wasn't quite sure if that would be the best for Ralts. However, Tasha's words had convinced him enough. "I will take Ralts with me."

"Thank you," Tasha sighed in relief.

Even though she would have liked for Ralts to be with her, she knew that this was the best thing for it. She had only known Ash for two days but the way he acted towards his own Pokemon and the way he took care of Ralts were more than enough proof for her to trust him with Ralts.

* * *

Ralts glanced at Tasha and then shot a quizzical look to Ash. It gazed at Ash for another minute before letting out a coo, which too sounded confused. It had almost completely recovered and just woken up completely a few hours ago. And suddenly, it was told by Tasha to go with Ash instead of staying with her. This all confused the little Feeling Pokemon and it didn't have any idea what to do or what to even make of the situation.

Ralts cried and looked at Tasha, its visible eyes almost tearing up as it jerked its head at the blonde girl. It jumped into the open arms of Tasha and buried its face into her bosom. It cried its name a few times as it clutched tightly onto Tasha. The Heonn native Pokemon had become attached to her and it didn't want to leave her side. But Tasha practically begged it to go with Ash and after some resistance, it accepted.

Ash watched the two embrace each other with a warm smile on his face. He was quite astonished that Ralts had accepted coming with him so easily, even if it was something Tasha told it. He'd expected it to resist more and even the scene in front of him showed how close the two had gotten. He could just make out that Ralts didn't want to make Tasha worry because of itself.

The two eventually parted, Ralts still hanging on to Tasha's skirt as the girl stood back up.

"Take care of Ralts, Ash," Tasha said with a smile. Her expression clearly showed that she didn't want to part with Ralts.

Ash nodded firmly at what Tasha had just told him. "I will, Tasha. You don't have to worry about Ralts at all."

Tasha picked up Ralts in her arms and kissed it on the forehead. "Be a good Pokemon and don't cause too much trouble for Ash, okay?" she whispered to Ralts, who nodded twice. "And don't get into any trouble, alright?" Ralts nodded again and hugged her face; it didn't really like the prospect of being without Tasha either.

An empty Pokeball was already clutched tightly in Ash's hand as Tasha walked forward with Ralts in her arms. She whispered a few things to Ralts and embraced it once more. Then, she looked at Ash and nodded.

Ash sucked his teeth together and raised the Pokeball that he intended to capture Ralts in. "Here we go," he mumbled and tapped the little Ralts that had been gazing at him for the last few moments with the Pokeball.

The Feeling Pokemon was sucked into a red flash of light, disappearing from Tasha's arms. The Pokeball shook a few times in Ash's hands before it made a ping sound and stopped shaking. Both Ash and Tasha knew what that meant; Ralts had shown no resistance to the capture and it now had become one of Ash's Pokemon.

The excitement of catching a new Pokemon was already pumping Ash's blood. The fact that it was a Pokemon not commonly sighted in the Kanto region made it all the more special. He hadn't expected to come across a Pokemon like Ralts on his way to Mt. Moon, much less catch one. When he'd found the injured Ralts, catching it was the last thing on his mind.

Tasha's heart too began beating faster; the friend that she'd made and the one that she'd cared about for the past two months would no longer be staying with her. She would feel lonely, upset even. However, that was for Ralts' own good, the blonde understood that. A life with Ash would be much better for it than anything she could've provided it with. She almost knew in her heart that this was the right thing to do and also that it would be better for Ralts.

"Take care of yourself and your Pokemon," Tasha said after she'd calmed herself down. She appeared a little upset as she played with her fingers behind her back.

Ash attached Ralts' Pokeball to his belt and grinned. "I will, trust me, and I won't let anything happen to Ralts,"

"Best of luck in your journey," Tasha chimed in a cheerful tone. "I do watch the Pokemon League matches from time to time and I will surely be watching you in the League."

"I guess I'll have to perform out of my skin if you're gonna be watching," Ash chuckled and Tasha laughed along with him. "I better get going."

Tasha pursed her lips together. "Bye, Ash!" she waved at the boy, who just turned around and started prodding.

"Bye!" Ash waved back from above his shoulder as he continued his trek to Mt. Moon. That journey he knew was going to be very taxing and he would do good to get ready for it.

* * *

Ash stood in front of the entrance to the Mt. Moon as he looked at the giant mountain that had no end. The mountain was massive and just looking at it from up close could have someone scared.

Ash had come here once before but that was many years ago when he was still a child. He didn't remember much about that visit now and he noted that Mt. Moon looked nothing up close like it did from a distance. He'd been able to see the mountain for the last day of his travel through Route 3 but he didn't expect it to be so formidably massive.

After he'd caught Ralts and left Tasha's house, it had taken him two more days to get to Mt. Moon. He'd reached there the evening earlier and spent the night in the Pokemon Center just beside the entrance, deciding it would be best to start his journey through the massive mountain fresh in the morning. Along the way, he hadn't come across too many trainers or different Pokemon than the usual Nidoran, Pidgey, Spearow and Mankey along with a few other commonly spotted Pokemon.

He took a long breath inside and finally made up his mind to get through the biggest mountain in the region of Kanto. He took his first step inside and realized that the torch he'd brought along would come in very handy in this mountain.

As the trainer made his way inside, he found that the sunlight that entered the caves had started to get less and less. There were lamps hanging from the ceiling that provided light. Although Ash knew better than to trust these light, several of which were broken. The best thing to do would be to use his torch and be safe instead of trusting the light of Mt. Moon.

This would be quite an experience, Ash remarked. Even more enthralling than the ones he had in Viridian Forest.

* * *

The four Pokemon of Ash's – Dratini, Charmander, Pidgeotto and Ralts – happily ate the Pokemon food that their trainer put in front of them. Charmander and Dratini especially enjoyed the food since the two of them had been training for the past couple of hours. Pidgeotto and Ralts were surprised to say the least seeing how the two devoured the food. They must've been through some really hard training, the two figured.

Ash himself, finished his lunch – a packed burger that he'd brought along.

It had been four days since Ash had entered Mt. Moon to make his way to Cerulean City and in those three days, he sure had found the experience in the mountain quite satisfying. He hadn't come across any rare Pokemon except for one Clefairy that he spotted – which successfully got away before Ash had a chance to do anything – but the different caves that he'd gone through to reach where he was now was surely something he enjoyed, no matter how hard it had been.

Along the way, he'd encountered several trainers and a few hikers. He battled a few of them, getting some training in for his Pokemon. He had been thinking about the Gym battle that he would have in the Cerulean Gym. It was a Water-type Gym as he'd read and he'd been wondering which Pokemon to use in there. His Dratini would be his trump card not only because it knew Shock Wave, an Electric-type move that would do super-effective damage to the Water-type Pokemon of the Cerulean City Gym Leader – but also because it was a Dragon-type. That meant that the Water-type attacks of the Gym Leaders Pokemon wouldn't do a lot of damage to Dratini. He had a complete advantage with that.

The second Pokemon was something that he hadn't chose though. He wouldn't be using Charmander because of his weakness to Water-type. Pidgeotto was the most logical choice and he'd most probably be using her. But he'd been wanting to battle with Ralts. He hadn't used the Ralts in any of his battles yet. He wanted the Feeling Pokemon to get used to its life with a trainer before he did anything with it. In fact, he hadn't let Ralts out of its Pokeball many times yet. He considered how it got itself into trouble with wild Pokemon so he knew that he had to keep an eye on it whenever it was out of its ball.

As Ralts peacefully ate its food, Ash scanned it with his Pokedex, raising the machine towards it. The Pokedex suddenly began to speak and obviously caught Ralts by surprise who at first frantically glanced at different direction to know where the sound came from before it realized that it was the machine that its trainer held which had suddenly spoken.

"Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. It senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokémon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition. This Ralts is Female. Its ability is Trace. It knows the moves Confusion, Draining Kiss, Double Team, Disarming Voice and Growl."

Ash raised an eyebrow and flashed a smile at his Ralts a second later. "You've got quite a moveset, Ralts," he complimented in reply to which, Ralts could only blush. "The ability Trace will be useful as well."

He kept his Pokedex back inside his pocket after he had a look at the moves he could teach Ralts. She could learn quite a variety of moves and her ability Trace was also something that fascinated him. There weren't a lot of Pokemon with that ability and it could come in handy in battles. Considering her moveset, she wouldn't be a bad choice to use against the Cerulean City Gym Leader.

He shrugged to himself, just opting to choose his second Pokemon for the Gym battle later. He still had to cross Mt. Moon before he could challenge the Gym so he had quite a bit of time to figure it out.

* * *

"Would you mind healing my Pokemon, Nurse Joy?" Ash requested. He now stood in the Cerulean City Pokemon Center having made his way through Mt. Moon – which took him almost two weeks – and then covering the distance between Mt. Moon and Cerulean City in less than a day.

The pink-haired nurse of Cerulean City nodded her head as she brought out a tray and placed all of the four Pokeballs that Ash handed to her inside. She then called for her Chansey, who quickly healed all of the Pokemon and brought them back to the Nurse in about a couple of minutes.

"Here you go," Joy chimed sweetly as she handed the Pokeballs back to Ash. "All your Pokemon are completely healed up."

Ash gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Nurse Joy," he took his Pokeballs and attached them back on his Pokeball belt before he looked up at the lady again. "I would also like to have a room. Are any available?"

Soon, Ash found himself in a room inside the Pokemon Center which looked pretty good. The Pokemon Center sure did have a lot of money if they were able to provide the trainers with such luxurious rooms in the Pokemon Center at a reasonably cheap price. They sure did know how to take care of Pokemon trainers, that was for sure.

* * *

The various fish tanks and pools that he spotted after he entered the Cerulean City Pokemon Center astonished Ash to say the least. Not only that, but he also passed through a hall which had seats that could have an audience of around a thousand or two at least. Ash had learned that the Gym Leaders were called the Sensational Sisters and held water ballet shows; they were quite popular after all. But he didn't expect all this to be in the Gym.

Sure, he'd expected there to be various pools but he predicted them to have Gym trainees training their Pokemon instead of girls putting on shows. Nonetheless, he ignored those things and focused solely on the Gym battle that awaited him, strolling through the building to where he'd been told the Gym battles took place.

And when he arrived to the battle arena, what caught his interest wasn't the battlefield was a pool but the three fair-skinned girls – one with indigo hair, one with golden-blonde hair and the third with pink hair – sitting near the pool, dressed in nothing but their swimsuits. They appeared to have just had a swim as the three wept their hair with towels.

Ash rolled his eyes before he walked up to the three. "Are you three the Gym Leaders here?"

The three had noticed Ash approaching them but they didn't do anything except for just sit there and wait for him to speak. And when he did, they all sighed.

"Yes, we totally are," The blonde stood up and raised an eyebrow. "Are you like a challenger?"

Ash couldn't help but purse his lips to the right at their ignorance. "Yes, I am," he replied as politely as possible, trying to hide the irritation he felt inside and not let it out with words. Of course, he was a challenger. Why else would he even bother to ask if they were the Gym Leaders. "I would like to challenge you to a battle for the Cerulean Gym badge." He announced his intentions to the three with confidence.

The girl with violet hair looked up at him. "Sorry but we don't have any Pokemon left to battle," Her tone had evident arrogance to it. "All our Pokemon are in the Pokemon Center."

"If you would have come here a few hours earlier, we would have been able to battle you but you're just too late." The third girl with pink hair shook her head, her arms folded.

"You can't say that!" Ash retorted angrily. He was not leaving this Gym without having a Gym battle and winning the badge. The way the three spoke agitated Ash even more. "You're the Gym Leaders and you have to battle trainers who want to battle you."

"You don't have to get like angry over it," The blonde-haired girl said. "Seel," she called and soon, a white Pokemon with black eyes and two fangs emerged from the pool. The girl took the water droplet shaped badge that the Seel had in its tongue and offered it to Ash. "You want the Cascade Badge, right? Here, you can have it. You don't even need to battle us for that."

Ash didn't move from his position. He was simply shocked by what the blonde girl had just told him. Gyms weren't supposed to hand trainers official Gym badges without a battle. Trainer had to earn it and he didn't want it any other way. He wanted the badge right now but he would never accept a badge that was presented to him like this without a proper Pokemon battle.

Thinking that Ash was confused, the pink-haired girl compelled him to accept it. "Just take it. That's a genuine Cascade Badge, no strings attached. You can use it in the Pokemon League."

As soon as she said that, Ash scorned at her. "You call yourselves Gym Leaders?!" He shouted, a vein of annoyance popping on his forehead. "That's not how it's supposed to be. I want to earn my Gym badge by defeating the Gym Leader."

"But what's the difference?" The indigo-haired girl asked. "You're getting what you want so shouldn't you be thankful that you get it for free without having to work hard for it?"

"I don't want it that way," Ash responded, shifting his glare to the girl who just said that.

"Look," The blonde girl began again. "If you don't want to have this badge, fine. You'll have to wait for our Pokemon to recover before we can have a Gym Battle with you."

"How long will it take?" Ash asked, his tone calmer that before.

"About a week or so," The blonde replied after a moment of thought.

This was getting to Ash now. These pathetic jokes for Gym Leaders just didn't know what a Gym battle meant to trainers like him. No Gym Leader was supposed to have that long a break without any prior notice or if there wasn't any emergency. This was the time that the Gym Leader had the most challengers since most new trainers began their journey at this time of the year. These Gym Leaders just weren't worth of the title. He would surely be sending a complaint about the Cerulean Gym to the Pokemon League.

Right when Ash was about to leave, someone appeared from one of the entrances.

"I will battle the challenger!" The feminine voice declared.

Ash felt as if he'd heard that voice before and when he looked at the one whom the voice belonged to, his eyes widened. The girl who made that statement was one who he'd battle on Route 1. It was the girl with the Staryu that his Dratini defeated as he recalled.

The orange-haired girl made her way to the Gym Leader's position on one end of the pool and removed a Pokeball. "I am also one of the Cerulean Gym Leaders," she called out challengingly to Ash. "I will give you a Gym battle that you'll never forget."

Ash sighed at the atrocious remarks that the girl made. "Is she really one of the Gym Leaders?" he questioned to the blonde-haired girl.

The blonde nodded jovially. "Well, she isn't one of the Sensational sisters but she is one of the Gym Leaders. You can battle her if you want."

Ash nodded and walked over to the end opposite to where the girl with the weird orange ponytail stood and unclipped one of his own Pokeballs. He wasn't quite sure if she would be a challenge since his Dratini had almost effortlessly beaten her Staryu. He wouldn't let his guard down, however.

"Lily, Violet, Daisy," The orange haired Gym Leader shouted to the three Sensational sisters. "One of you be the judges."

"Be the judge, Daisy." The indigo-haired girl told the blonde, who nodded and walked to the judge's position between the pool.

"This will be a two-on-two Cerulean City Gym battle between," she turned to Ash as if asking for his name.

"My name's Ash Ketchum." Ash informed her.

Daisy nodded and began. "This will be a two-on-two Cerulean City Gym battle between Ash Ketchum and Gym Leader Misty. Only the challenger can substitute Pokemon. Begin!"

As soon as the last word left Daisy's mouth, both Ash and Misty tossed their Pokeballs up in the air. Out of Misty's Pokeball came out her Staryu while Ash's Pokeball revealed his Pidgeotto, who flapped her wings and flew in front of her trainer.

"Staryu, use Water Gun!" Misty shouted her order.

Ash countered instantly. "Quick Attack!"

Staryu jerked its top limp and a jet of water headed at Pidgeotto from the hole in the limp. Pidgeotto though proved too fast for the Water Gun as she slipped into Quick Attack, almost disappearing from sight. Leaving behind white trails, Pidgeotto slammed her body into Staryu and earned herself a cry of pain.

"Water Gun again!" Misty gritted her teeth after the damage her Staryu had suffered but stuck with the same move.

Ash rolled his eyes. His Pidgeotto would never be hit like this. "Quick Attack." This was simply proving too easy for him.

Like before, Staryu shot a jet of spiraling blue water at Pidgeotto but the Flying-type easily evaded it before executing her Quick Attack and getting the same result she got last time.

"Tackle it, Staryu!" Misty shouted as she clenched her fists in annoyance.

"Dodge it and then use Wing Attack!" Ash commanded.

Just as Staryu jumped in the air and launched itself at her, Pidgeotto unfurled her wings and headed towards the Starfish Pokemon herself. Her wings gained the slightest tinge of sheen as she slammed them into the Staryu before it could complete its Tackle. She just proved too fast for it. The Staryu smashed into one of the white floating beds in the pool, the red orb in its belly starting to flash red and then getting dim again.

"Get up, Staryu," Misty encouraged her Pokemon that had several bruises throughout its body. However, the Water-type got up shakily and made a smirk appear on Misty's face. "We can still win this," she pointed her index finger at Pidgeotto. "Psywave!"

At the mention of the move, Ash smirked. This Staryu knew more than just those weak Water-type moves. However, that still wouldn't be enough to win against his Pidgeotto. This was the perfect opportunity for him to test out the move that he and his Pidgeotto had been working upon throughout their time in Mt. Moon.

"Let's finish this, Aerial Ace!"

Staryu balanced itself as its body became covered outlined in a light blue glow. Meanwhile, Pidgeotto ascended and stretched out her wings as her entire form got surrounded by multiple silver streaks of energy. As the Staryu released the blue rings of psychic energy at Pidgeotto, she simply shot herself down at the Staryu. The Psywave hit Pidgeotto but it didn't take her more than a second to destroy the psychic waves with her Aerial Ace and then head straight down at Staryu. The Starfish Pokemon grunted in pain after Pidgeotto struck it with Aerial Ace, disappearing for a millisecond before she completed her attack.

Misty could only watch with bogged out eyes as her Staryu lied without any movement. "Staryu," she mumbled.

Daisy though, didn't take long to call the battle. "Staryu is unable to battle so Pidgeotto wins the first round."

After she shot an angry scowl at Ash, she returned her Staryu and got out her next Pokeball. She raised the ball in front of her and a violet Pokemon very similar to Staryu appeared. "Misty chooses Starmie!"

Raising Pidgeotto's Pokeball, Ash recalled her and unclipped his other Pokeball. "Let's make this quick, Dratini!"

At first, Misty was surprised to see Ash switch his Pokemon. But when she eyed Dratini, she understood why. She realized that Ash wanted to defeat her with his dragon like he did last time. She wouldn't let that happen again though. Her Starmie was much stronger than her Staryu.

"Dragon Breath!" Ash ordered, taking the first move this time.

As she saw green energy forming inside Dratini's mouth, Misty made her own move. "Dive into the water and dodge it!"

Just as Dratini fired the greenish-blue breath of his, Starmie spun around and dived into the pool, disappearing from sight. The Dragon Breath passed through where Starmie once stood and crashed into one of the walls of the Gym, destroying some of even that cemented structure.

The successful dodge of her Starmie had Misty grin victoriously at Ash. However, her grin vanished when she saw that Ash had a dangerous smirk on his face. The look that he gave her almost made her feel like it had been her who was at a disadvantage in the water, not him.

"This is just too easy," Ash commented, shaking his head in disappointment. "Shock Wave in the pool, Dratini."

The calm instruction that Ash gave to his Dratini made Misty realize her mistake. She'd walked right in Ash's trap. Water conducted electricity and that Shock Wave would do much more damage in water than it would outside of it. She cursed herself for forgetting about Water-type Pokemon's biggest weakness.

"Get outta there!" she yelled in fright. "Starmie!"

Although the orange-haired Gym Leader could only watched in terror as the blue electricity that surrounded Dratini's entire body was released into the pool of water. Sparks flew out of the pool as the water conducted the Shock Wave and magnified its power. Cries of agony could be heard coming out of the pool as Starmie suffered super-effective damage.

Even the Sensational sister were made to stand up and look at the pool with awe at the display. It was known to everyone that water conducted electricity but none of the three would be able to use it. The presence of mind and the calmness to make use of the water battlefield wasn't displayed by every trainer that came to challenge them. It had been a long time since any of them had faced a trainer who'd used water to his advantage.

After the electricity calmed down inside the pool, Starmie emerged on the surface with the jewel on its body glowing in multiple colors. As Misty called out to it, the evolved form of Staryu got on the white floaters, but it appeared in dire shape.

Dratini was urging to finish the battle but Ash stopped him from doing so. He simply waited for Misty to make a move. He knew that this battle was all but won and he didn't want to injure a Pokemon more than he had to. If Misty continued to battle though, he would have no choice but to use another move but he waited to give her a chance to call her Pokemon back. Well, if she cared about her Pokemon, Ash reckoned she would.

Misty looked at Ash and Dratini in surprise. She didn't expect either of them to wait to use another attack from what she learned after their previous battle. She sighed and pointed her Pokeball at Starmie, who was sucked inside. After murmuring a few words of praise to it, she walked over to Daisy and took the Cascade Badge from her.

"Here's the Cascade Badge," Misty presented the badge to Ash with a smile.

The smile had surprised him. Ash didn't expect someone like Misty to genuinely smile at him. "Thanks I guess," Ash smiled back as he accepted the Cascade Badge from Misty.

"I thought you would tell your Dratini to attack again until Starmie couldn't battle anymore," she said.

Ash chuckled. "I would never do that and neither would Dratini," he informed her and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw how calm Dratini was in Ash's arms. "But I never expected you to smile at me after that look you gave me back at Route 1."

It took her a couple of moments to realize how she'd acted after their battle in Route 1 but when she remembered about it, her cheeks turned red. She waved her hands frantically in front of her chest. "No no!" she hollered frantically. "I was just worried about Staryu at the time, that's all!" But a grinning face of Ash brought her no relief before she eventually sighed.

"I understand," Ash tittered. "I guess I misunderstood you,"

"I did too," Misty whispered, her gaze fixed at the floor. She was quite embarrassed by how she'd acted that time and more so after realizing that Ash wasn't the guy she thought he was.

"Anyways," Ash started, turning himself around with Dratini in his arms. "Thanks for the badge. I will be on my way now."

Misty was snapped out of her daze by Ash's words as she looked at the back of the trainer who'd already started walked. She wasn't sure if he forgave her for her behavior last time. At least, she hoped he did.

* * *

 **So how was the chapter? Tell me everything about it in the reviews.**

 **Okay so now, there will be some real intense action for the next couple of chapters or so. There are quite a few important things that will be happening.**

 **I know I skipped through Mt. Moon but I have something for Mt. Moon later in the story. As for why I did that, there simply weren't many important things that I wanted happening there and I thought it wouldn't be worth it making you read boring filler that wouldn't have much of an impact.**

 **How did you guys find the capture of Ralts? And Ash is alone again. Are you happy or upset about it?**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you next time!**


	5. The First of Many

_**The First of Many**_

* * *

 **Hello, dear readers! Guess what?! I am back again. And I do sincerely apologize for not publishing a chapter for almost 4 months.**

 **I didn't really have the motivation to write in January and February and I was really busy in March. I started writing this chapter in the first week of April, I think, and at first, it took me a little while to get back into writing; things like the speed, the structure and stuff like that.**

 **Anyway, if you're reading this, then it means that you've been really patient with me and I thank you for that. Off to the chapter, then. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I left two of my Pokemon with you yesterday," Ash spoke up, placing his Pokedex on the counter. "Could you please get me their Pokeballs?" He requested politely to the pretty pink-haired Nurse who just retained her usual pleasant smile on her face.

Nurse Joy nodded once before she placed Ash's Pokedex on the scanner attached to her computer. The trainers who left their Pokemon at the Pokemon Center were required to register them with their Pokedexes so that there wouldn't be any mix ups and the Pokemon could be returned to them easily and safely. This was a method used in the Pokemon Centers for quite a few years now.

The development in science and technology in the last few decades had made a lot of things easier and this was one of them. Nurses didn't have to worry about making mistakes like handing a Pokemon that belonged to a particular trainer to someone else. That did make life a lot easier for them. Due to Pokemon battling being the most popular sport in the world by quite a distance, the Pokemon Centers were busy day and night.

Not that any of the Nurse Joys complained about it. It was in their blood to treat and heal Pokemon and they loved their job. Asking any females in the Joy clan would bring that one singular response.

As the scanner made a sound, the Pokemon Ash had left came up on the screen. Joy instantly instructed the Chansey beside her to get them and that the pink Pokemon did that in a matter of seconds.

"Here are your Pidgeotto and Dratini, as healthy as ever." Joy chimed and handed over the two Pokeballs to Ash.

Ash flashed his own thankful smile. "Thanks a lot for taking care of them."

"You're welcome!" Nurse Joy exclaimed cheerfully. "Bring your Pokemon to me anytime you want and they'll be treated immediately."

"Definitely." Ash mouthed gleefully as he turned back to leave the Pokemon Center. His Dratini and Pidgeotto hadn't taken too much damage from their battle with Misty's Pokemon from the other day. Though, the trainer thought that it would do them good to spend some time outside their Pokeballs and in the comfort of the Pokemon Center's amazing care.

He had everything packed up and he was ready to leave Cerulean City. He knew that the destination of his next Gym battle – Vermilion City will take quite some time to reach. Although Ash was patient when it came to some things, winning badges and progressing in his Pokemon journey was something he liked to have haste in, which wasn't particularly a bad thing. At least as long as he didn't get into any trouble.

"Ketchum, it seems like I finally found you!" A male voice from nearby made Ash turn around, a hint of shock present on his face. He recognized the voice; he knew it very well indeed. The look of shock turned into a smirk as his eyes met with the one whom the voice belonged to.

"You certainly did," Ash chuckled after the look of shock on his face was replaced by a gentle smile. He shook his head amusedly at the sight of the person that he knew he would meet sooner or later. "Gary."

The boy with mahogany colored, spiky hair and black eyes walked forward towards Ash. He wore a purple long-sleeved shirt, dark blue pants and held a dark backpack. Coming to a stop right in front of Ash, he placed a hand on his hip while held a Pokeball in the other, which he spun around with a massive grin on his face.

"How've been doing alone, Ashy-boy?" He sniggered, intent on mocking Ash with his statement.

"I am amazingly well, thank you." Ash replied bluntly, although with a defiant smirk on his face. "You don't seem like you're doing too bad either. I am surprised to see you here in one piece."

"Oh?" Gary frowned. "You really think I am a dunce like you?" he grinned before he let a series of chuckles right at Ash's face. He would never let himself be defeated by Ash; not in Pokemon battles, nor in anything else.

Ash didn't show any visible changes in his stature even while Gary tried to greet him with such mockery. He knew Gary was just trying to get him angry, and he surely wasn't going to fall into his trap. This wasn't the most unfamiliar situation for him; Gary had the tendency of greeting him like this once in a while.

But Ash was relieved; relived to know that Gary was doing well. They'd been rivals since they were old enough to speak but in that time, they had developed a deep bond with one another. They competed in almost everything since their early childhood : studies, sports and of course, Pokemon. There would be a competition amongst them whenever anything related to Pokemon would come up.

Neither of them would admit it but deep down, they considered each other the best of friends. They had shared a lot of experiences together, some embarrassing enough that they tried their hardest to forget they ever did something like that but a small amount were those that they were proud of together.

Even right now as they stared into each other's eyes, they could read what the other was thinking. It was fairly obvious what they were thinking at this point top anyone who knew them well. However, none of them said a word for a few moments. They simply waited for the other to voice it.

Standing around without doing anything wouldn't get him anywhere, realized Ash. Gary was too stubborn to just come out and do something that he didn't want to and hence Ash decided to speak up.

"Are you up for a Pokemon battle, Gary?" Ash challenged his rival, his right hand reaching for his Pokemon belt. "You were pretty pumped to beat me not too long ago."

Gary snorted. "Get ready to face defeat, Ash!" he announced confidently as he too, removed a Pokeball from his pocket and showed it to Ash.

* * *

Soon enough, the two young trainers found themselves in the battlefield behind the Pokemon Center. Both of them had their Pokeballs ready in the palms of their hands; itching for the battle to start. They'd already waited long enough to have one and neither of them would give it anything but their best.

The two had fought many battles before this against each other. However, this was the first time that they were battling with the Pokemon they'd caught on their own. Even though they considered their previous mock battle to be a serious affair – as they were still Pokemon battles, this was something completely different.

It wasn't just about what they did during the battle anymore; everything they'd gone through to make their Pokemon stronger would count. All of the effort they had put in along with their Pokemon would be making a difference here. There might not have been anything like a trophy at stake in the battle but if anything, winning against the other mattered even more to them, especially to Gary.

"A one-on-one sounds good to you?" Gary asked from the other side of the field to Ash, who simply nodded in agreement. A smirk which contained the slightest bit of arrogance made its way to Gary's face as he pointed his Pokeball forward. "Use your strongest Pokemon, Ash because I surely won't go easy on you."

Ash raised an eyebrow amusedly before he chuckled. "It wouldn't be any fun if you did go easy on me." He tapped the Pokeball in his hand, which gave let out a red beam of light onto the field. "I choose you, Charmander!"

The Pokeball in Gary's hand was tossed up in the air by the brown-haired trainer as well. "Wartortle, go!"

The two Pokemon cried at one another as soon as they materialized on the field. Charmander bore his fangs as he hissed at the bipedal indigo-blue colored Pokemon resembling a turtle. Wartortle wasn't one to be left behind as he too shouted in response.

"So," Gary began, eyeing the two Pokemon on the field carefully. "Your starter was a Charmander."

Ash grinned at Gary's assumption. "Not quite," he denied his claims before he eyed the Wartortle that he'd have to defeat in order to win against Gary. "I am sure Wartortle is your starter though."

For a moment after he heard Ash, Gary held a look of stupor on his face. He managed to shake off that feeling soon enough to concentrate on the battle though. Charmander wasn't a Pokemon that could be found in the wild too easily so he was curious as to how Ash managed to get his hands on one, if it wasn't his starter but he'd be better off asking him later rather than worrying about it during this fight.

"Water Gun!" Gary yelled his first command.

It didn't take long for Ash to counter. "Intercept it with Dragon Rage!"

Ash had chosen Charmander for this battle even before he knew what Gary would be using, which put him at a disadvantage. However, he wasn't upset about it. If anything, he thought it would be some really good training for Charmander fighting against a Water-type. He hadn't had too many chances to test his Charmander against strong Water-type Pokemon – except for the Cerulean Gym match which he thought wouldn't be the best choice since he had to win the Gym match. This was the perfect opportunity.

On the field, Charmander opened his maw and charged purplish-blue draconic power which soon formed into a ball. A jet of water soon fired by Wartortle soon headed towards the Lizard Pokemon. Charmander was ready to fend off the Water-type move with his strong Dragon-type move though. The Dragon Rage and Water Gun collided; the water dissipating in the air.

"Water Gun again!" Gary ordered. He had a huge advantage in terms of Pokemon types and he wasn't about to go to any other strategy after just one failed attack.

Wartortle opened his mouth wide and brought forth a stream of water that he aimed at Charmander across the field. However, just as the Water Gun neared, Ash made his move.

"Dodge it," Ash said nonchalantly, almost as if he was sure that the Water Gun wouldn't hit his Pokemon. And Charmander lived up to his expectations, showing his agility and speed by running forwards and then jumping out of the way.

Gary appeared astounded by how fast Charmander was. He didn't expect his Wartotle – a Pokemon that relied on its bulk and power to outspeed a fast and nimble Pokemon like Charmander, but he didn't predict Ash's Fire-type to be this fast. He didn't waste any more time in daze though; with Ash being his opponent, he shouldn't have been surprised with just a little surge in speed.

While Gary thought about his next move though, Ash used the couple of seconds he got to advance. "Dragon Rage quick!"

That command got Gary's attention as he got back to his senses. "Withdraw!" he called.

His Wartortle surely wouldn't be fast enough to evade the blue beam of energy that Charmander had just shot and he made the best move possible. He knew the strength and weakness of his Wartortle inside and out, which was the reason that let him make a defensive move like that so quickly.

The Turtle Pokemon straightened its body before it hid inside its steel-like hard shell. The Dragon Rage struck it resulting in Wartortle yelling out in pain. Withdraw raised the defense of the Pokemon that used it, but it didn't eliminate the entire damage that the attack could do.

Nevertheless, the damage that Wartortle suffered wasn't going to faze it. The two Pokemon stared at one another again, as they waited for their trainers to give them another command. Wartorte snarled at its opponent while Charmander dangerously pointed his claws forward.

"Ember," Ash called calmly. Charmander wasted no time and brought forth flames from the bottom of his being and instantly let them rip across the field at Wartortle.

Gary waited just long enough for the Ember attack to be fired from his opponent's Pokemon before he opened his mouth. "Such attacks won't get you anywhere, Ash," he sighed as if disappointed before he turned his full attention to the battle with eyes which clearly showed the fire he had for Pokemon battles. "Wartortle, blow that away with Rapid Spin!"

And just as he said, Wartortle tucked himself inside his shell once again and began spinning around rapidly. The flames, as hot and scorching as they were, were harmlessly swung away from Wartortle.

However, Ash smirked instantly. "Now Dragon Rage!"

And Charmander was ready to attack. The flames of Dragon Rage formed inside his mouth as his mouth gaped in the direction at Wartortle, who'd just stopped its Rapid Spin. The speed at which Charmander had prepared himself for his next attack after Ember had taken Gary by surprise. Before he could think of a possible way for his Wartortle to avoid the Dragon-type move, the blue and black beam of energy turned into the shape of a dragon and walloped powerfully onto Wartortle.

"Hang in there, Wartortle!" A worried Gary screamed. His concern for the Turtle Pokemon wasn't without reason; his started had suffered a serious blow from the intense raging power of the dragons, and the bruises on its body that laid on the ground made it evident.

For a moment after Charmander's attack had completed, Ash remained in a bit of shock. His mouth went agape when he saw that Charmander's Dragon Rage had taken the shape of a dragon – a sign that the Pokemon had all but mastered the move completely. Dragon Rage was one of the few Dragon-type moves whose mastery could be told apart from the way it was executed. If the Pokemon had just learned the move, it was just a draconic beam of energy while the form which Charmander just demonstrated was almost the perfect one.

The Fire-type Kanto starter of Ash's had gotten his Dragon Rage to this level of power sooner than Ash had expected. Even his Dratini, who was a specific Dragon-type Pokemon, hadn't grasped this amount of proficiency yet.

Ash beamed proudly at his Charmander. "That was amazing, Charmander," he praised the Lizard Pokemon before a serious expression again made its way to his face. He had already achieved what he would have liked from this battle – to get Charmander used to fighting strong Water-type Pokemon. Although Ash remained aware of the fact that the battle wasn't won yet. It was far from over.

Gary took a deep breath to before flicking his hair. He knew that Wartortle could take more as evidenced by it standing up on its feet again, ready for round 2. Gary realized that the longer the battle lasted, the better it would be for Ash and Charmander, considering the high speed and stamina the species possessed. Besides, he had the advantage and one good shot from a Water-type move would mean a certain victory for him.

"Tackle!" Gary shouted.

"Don't let it hit you! Scratch it!" Ash commanded.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to go for the kill and use Dragon Rage once more against any other trainer but he knew this was Gary he was fighting against. He assumed that the Oak would've already devised a counter for it. Ash had to make sure he used his next Dragon Rage to catch Gary by surprise. Catching Gary off guard again wouldn't be too likely, he realized however, at the type disadvantage he was and considering that Dragon Rage was the only strong move that Charmander had to counter against a Water-type right now, it was his only choice.

Both the Pokemon scurried forward as their trainers ordered them to – Charmander with its sharp claws in front of his face and Wartorle building power in his entire body. Just as they came into each other's range, Charmander swiped Wartortle's face but the Water-type fought the pain to slam its shell into Charmander. The force of the attack drove Charmander back towards Ash though he gained his balance soon enough.

Silence shrouded the battlefield for a next few moments that passed by. The two Pokemon as well as their trainers defiantly glared at one another – everyone was impressed.

"Time to end this!" Gary declared confidently; confidence that could so easily be misunderstood as arrogance. "Water Pulse!"

The moment the name of the attack left Gary's lips, Ash's hair stood on end. Water Pulse was probably the best move that Gary's Wartortle knew and he had saved it for last. Ash knew that getting through this wasn't going to be easy. He glanced at Charmander intently as he smiled. "Now Charmander, use Dragon Rage at full power! We'll win this!"

Wartortle had already formed a swirling ball of pure blue water inside of its mouth and just in a matter of a few small seconds, it had grown into the size as Wartortle's face. It had worked hard perfecting that move and even harder to get it to a point that it could be sure to give it the win. Meanwhile, Charmander charged up every ounce of draconic energy he could gather from inside of him and readied his attack.

Of course, Wartortle had already flung its Water Pulse towards its enemy but Charmander wasn't much behind. Just in the next second, he fired his Dragon Rage, which like last time took the shape of a dragon soon. The two attack met mid-field and the Dragon Rage threatened to burn out the Water Pulse into steam. However, just then, the ball of water burst into swirling water itself that easily went past the blue energy beam; the entire water soaking Charmander.

The Fire-type cried out agonizingly as the water immersed over his fiery tail and body. And that was all Charmander could take – his resistance had reached its limit. The Flame Pokemon fell on the ground, face-first and eyes closed.

The unmoving body of Charmander made Ash wince. A wry smile followed before he raised his Pokeball where his unconscious Pokemon laid. He let out a sigh as the ball sucked in Charmander in a red flash of light. He'd lost the battle but he was sure that Charmander had grown a lot stronger after it. The way he fought and the power he displayed even against a Pokemon which stood at such a big advantage against him would be enough to make any trainer proud.

Meanwhile, Gary stroked his Wartortle and praised his Pokemon who'd given him the first victory in his Pokemon rivalry against Ash. "Great job, Wartortle!" he complimented with a massively joyful grin on his features.

He'd waited to beat Ash in a Pokemon battle – after they became official Pokemon trainers – for a long time and the victory definitely tasted sweet. It wasn't an easy win for him, of course and he very well knew that. He also did believe that he won because he had a type advantage, and realized straight away that the next fight against Ash might not go the same way. He would get himself and his Pokemon ready for it, though.

As Gary recalled his Wartortle, Ash had walked up to him. The duo shared an intense glare for a few moments before both of them let out a small series of laughs. The joy they gained after the battle could only be described by the satisfied expressions they had on their faces.

Although at first, they might have thought that winning the match was their goal, they realized that it wasn't. Once again, they understood why they loved Pokemon battling so much; the excitement they felt during the battle was something no one could explain in words. It was something that they could never have enough of.

Ash offered Gary – who was knelt on the ground after he'd just finished talking to his victorious starter – a hand. The brown-haired rival of Ash's blinked in surprise before he eventually grabbed the offered hand and stood back up straight.

"That was more fun that I'd expected," Ash admitted with a smile on his face.

Gary chuckled at the unexpected statement that came out of Ash's mouth. "I admit, it was. Much more fun than I ever had fighting you with those little Pokemon in the lab." He shook his head in levity as he remembered all the fights he'd had with Ash back then.

"Hey Gary," Ash called as he turned around towards the Pokemon Center. "I haven't had anything to eat yet so I am heading to the cafeteria. You coming?" he offered. He knew that they would be going their separate ways soon and he didn't mind having a little chat with Gary before then. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do while he had his breakfast.

Gary raised an eyebrow at Ash's suggestion. "Sure," he accepted but smirked as he started walking. "You're paying."

Ash couldn't help but sigh at that. But he didn't mind.

* * *

"So Ash, tell me," Gary began, eating a bite of his sandwich. "How many Pokemon have you caught?"

It was a question that didn't surprise Ash; he saw this coming from a million miles away. "I've caught three." He replied truthfully. He took a sip of his coffee - containing extra sugar, the way he liked – and spoke again. "So I have four in total." He finished as he wrinkled his forehead to look at Gary. "What about you?" he questioned.

A smirk arose on Gary's face at that. "I already have six," he chuckled, content with his achievement. "It seems like you even lost this to me."

Ash rolled his eyes, ignoring Gary's taunt. The guy in front of him wouldn't be Gary if he didn't have such statements to say to his rival. He simply smiled calmly but the continued laughter didn't go too well with him. "Don't you think that you're being a little too happy simply because of that?"

"Not at all!" Gary exclaimed. "The self-proclaimed Pokemon Master is losing a lot these days," he pointed a finger at Ash, still seemingly unable to control his laughter.

There was no comment from Ash even though Gary appeared to be enjoying his taunting. The reason for that was because he was still somewhat embarrassed of the few times he used to shout out the words "I'll be a Pokemon Master!" out loud in his childhood whenever he felt overexcited. He'd stopped doing that after he was about 6 to 7 years old but Gary never forgot about it.

Ash simply sipped in more of his coffee without uttering a word. If he wanted to, he could ignore Gary for as long as he wanted without feeling the least bit agitated. That was the extent to which he'd gotten used to Gary.

"Anyway Gary," Ash finally broke the silence, narrowing his eyes at Gary. "Have you heard from him yet?"

Gary shook his head immediately. "Nah," he denied with a shrug. "That guy is probably too busy with his Pokemon training to give us a call. And since we don't know where exactly he'll be, we can't call him either." He scorned at the ceiling, the irritation he felt evident in his eyes. "So much for keeping in touch."

"I see," Ash mumbled in thought as silence shrouded the two. Drinking the last bit of coffee, he sighed and stood up abruptly. "No point in thinking about it anymore. We will see him sometime soon, anyway. He'll most probably be participating in the Indigo League this year."

Gary beamed as he too, rose up from his seat. "I guess so,"

"I am gonna be leaving Cerluean today," Ash informed his long-time rival. "When are you gonna leave? You already have the Gym Badge."

Gary placed a hand on his chin in thought about his plans going forward. "Yeah, I already have the Cascade Badge and it's not like there's anything else to do in this city." He mused and nodded to himself. "I'll leave today too." He pointed his index finger at Ash defiantly. "And don't even tell me to travel with you. I am not going to do that!" he spoke out the last statement in a tone different to his usual speech, highlighting what he would never do, even if his life depended on it.

"Huh?" Ash raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused at Gary's sudden outburst. He never planned on asking Gary to come along; he'd be better off alone anyway. His surprise was intensified by the fact that it was Gary saying those words. He wouldn't be if this were some of his other friends whose personality matched that sort of behavior but not Gary.

The raven-haired trainer sighed, concluding that it was just another act his longtime rival did to taunt him. "I never would ask you to. Anyone but you."

"Are you leaving right now?" Gary questioned, curious to what his rival would do next.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it's not like I have anything to do in Cerulean either."

"See ya, then!" Gary waved his hand at Ash. "I am gonna give Gramps a call before I head out."

"Professor Oak?!" Ash named the grandfather of his rival, Gary Oak. He bit his tongue lightly as he appeared to have been reminded something. "I haven't called him or Mom since I left. Maybe I should show him my face to let him know I am alive and well."

* * *

"You look good as well, Ash," Professor Oak grinned from across the video phone in the Pokemon Center.

"Yes Professor," Ash smiled back.

The call with Professor Oak had been going on for about five minutes now and Gary had already talked to him about the things he needed to. Gary had been keeping in touch with the Professor and the two Oaks talked about some Pokedex related stuff that Gary had questions about.

Professor Oak was pleasantly surprised to see that Ash and Gary seemed to be getting along better than they did in his lab. Gary especially, was always keen to get ahead of Ash but there were no signs of that at this point. The grey-haired Researcher realized that the two had matured and weren't the same little kids that caused him so much trouble until a few years ago. Well, their passion for Pokemon was one thing that hadn't changed.

The two kids would end up becoming something special, he always believed that and still did. And with the way things were going, and the progress they had made in their short journeys so far, they were right on track in proving him right.

"You've captured some interesting Pokemon Ash," Professor Oak said. He got notified whenever a trainer who had gotten his identification from him captured a Pokemon so he knew about all of the Pokemon they had caught. The same was true for Ash. "You weren't able to get a Charmander as your starter but you did manage to catch one."

Ash rubbed the back of his head unintentionally. "Yea, I got lucky with him."

Professor Oak nodded before he spoke again. "Anyway, there is young and talented Pokemon Researcher who doesn't live far from Cerulean. And since you two are in Cerulean City, why don't you pay him a visit?"

"A Pokemon Researcher?" Gary narrowed his eyes as he leaned towards the telephone screen.

"His name is Bill," Oak informed. "and he is the guy who has invented the Pokemon Transfer system. He already knows about you two and you are sure to learn a few things from him."

"Nah," Gary looked away uninterestedly. As he saw Ash and his grandfather look at him with doubtful eyes, he decided to explain the reason for his denial. "I already have a schedule that I am going to follow till I reach Vermillion. There's the S.S. Anne leaving on March 25 and I can't miss it." He elaborated his situation. He would definitely go visit Bill had it not be for this reason but he was genuinely excited to go to the island that the S.S. Anne would take him to. "I surely won't be able to reach Vermillion, win the badge and be in time for S.S. Anne. The Pokemon I can catch there are far more important to me."

New trainers in the Kanto region usually began their Pokemon journeys in the mid of January. Ash had begun his on January 10 and it was already February 28.

"I'll go see Bill, Professor." Ash spoke, driving the Professor's attention away from Gary. He had a determined smile on his face as he looked at the Professor. "I am not in a hurry to reach Vermillion," he turned his gaze to Gary and smirked at his rival. "unlike Gary, I value this opportunity to meet the person who made something as amazing as the Pokemon Transfer system."

Gary shrugged. "Well of course," he grinned as if to provoke Ash and leaned his face towards him. "Just be ready to be in awe of the Pokemon I defeat you with next time, Ashy-boy!"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Sure. Go catch'em like you used to try and catch those Rattata."

On the video screen, Professor Oak shook his head, realizing that the assumption he made earlier about Ash and Gary getting along well couldn't be farther from the truth. He cleared his throat to get the attention of the two trainers from his town back to him, which he successfully did.

The two youngsters from the Town of Pallet straightened themselves as soon as they made eye contact with Professor Samuel Oak. His stern gaze didn't make them too comfortable. They knew that look all too well from the days they had spent in his lab. They were once his students and if there was one thing that they knew about him, it was that never make him angry. The fear that they felt when they were younger had almost reappeared.

A few seconds of silence passed by – in which neither Ash nor Gary uttered a word or moved from their positions – before the Professor finally opened his mouth again. "It's not a big deal if you don't want to go meet Bill, Gary. I just thought that it would be a good experience for you two to meet someone like him." He explained, his expression relaxing and a smile creeping on his wrinkled face. "As for you Ash," he called Ash who immediately turned all his attention towards him, not that he had was not paying attention to him earlier. "I think you will get along with Bill." He nodded twice to himself. "He is much like you in a few ways."

"He is?" Ash raised an eyebrow along with his query.

Oak nodded. "And don't let the fact that he is the inventor of the Pokemon Transfer system fool you. He is just a few years older than you."

"Woah! No way!" Gary yelped in amazement. He didn't expect someone who'd made something so significant in the Pokemon world to be so young. This person truly had his attention now.

"That can't be!" Ash was equally as surprised, evident by the small jump he did at the statement from Samuel Oak.

The Pokemon Professor laughed out in mirth at the reactions from the two. "That's true." Just as he was about to continue, the sound of the doorbell came from the Professor's lab. He turned back to take a look at his clock. "I wasn't expecting anyone." He mumbled to himself and turned back to the call. "So you two, be careful and make sure you don't do things that aren't for you." He wore a serious expression as he said that. "You're still new trainer and there are things that you don't know anything about in this world. Not all people and Pokemon are as harmless and tame as most of the ones you've met so far. And give me a call if you're stuck. Goodbye!"

With a wave of his hand, the Pokemon Researcher from the town of Pallet ended the call as the telephone screen in the Cerulean City Pokemon Center went blank. Ash and Gary sighed in unison, finally relaxing their tensed bodies. They hadn't been this scared for quite some time now, and this simply a reminded to them that Professor Oak still retained the feature that would have them scared to death a few years back.

"Gramps can be so difficult sometimes," Gary breathed in relief as he wiped some sweat off his forehead.

Just as relieved, Ash agreed wholeheartedly as he nodded thrice instantly. "He sure can!"

"Ash," Gary started as he grabbed his backpack from the table beside him. "There's no point in me hanging around here," He turned back his neck as he grinned almost arrogantly at Ash. "You better make sure that you're ready when we meet next time, Ashy-boy!" he declared, his eyes containing a sheen that was visible during his Pokemon battle with Ash earlier. "Sayonara!"

At this point, Ash was too tired of Gary's antics to give him any heed. "Sure, I'll try my best." He shrugged off nonchalantly and smirked off at his rival.

And those were the last words that were spoken between the two youngsters from Pallet Town, as the Gary immediately left the Pokemon Center and disappeared from Ash's sight. Ash hadn't expected to have such a long morning; it had been quite exhausting for him: first the battle with Gary and then a reminder of the old Professor Oak. Although he couldn't say that he hadn't enjoyed it. It was just the kind of tiring joy a kid got from playing all day in an amusement park.

Worn out, Ash let his shoulders slump before allowing his body to fall on the sofa he stood next to. He sighed and then snickered as he thought of the events that had happened today. But what excited him most was the things to come: a meeting with Bill – someone who even Professor Oak held in such high regards – was something to look forward to. And having seen how Gary had trained his Pokemon, he couldn't wait for a rematch. That would be exciting; and next time, he wouldn't be using a Pokemon just so it could learn. The next time he had a Pokemon battle with Gary, he would play to win.

* * *

 **This chapter was supposed to be at least 3-4 k words longer than it is. But I was really stuck at that point and decided to end the chapter where I did and make the next chapter a but bigger.**

 **The next chapter will hopefully come out much sooner than this one. Again, sorry for the wait but life and writer's block had me stuck.**

 **Also, Ash might be catching a new Pokemon in the next two or three chapters so if there is a suggestion you want to make, feel free to post it either in the reviews or in a message. (You could include their personality and traits if you want) and I'll consider them and see if they match with the kind of Pokemon I want him to catch next since I don't have a particular Pokemon for him in mind.**

 **Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Selection

_**Selection**_

* * *

 **Hey there people, I am back! And I am glad to say that I might publish another 3-4 chapters of this story this month, or till start of July. That's something that's really got me excited.**

 **This chapter has a lot of character development for Ash. It's more focused on his development as a Pokemon trainer and a person than the Pokemon battles. This would've been up last week. But I really started having doubts about my writing this last week. I don't know why it happened, I just began to think that I needed to improve on a lot of things regarding my writing and that just held me from writing quicker. Though I've hopefully put that feeling behind me. I decided that the best way to improve and get better is to write more and more, isn't it?**

 **You're probably quite bored by my story about getting discouraged, I know. So, off you go to the chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

As Ash glanced up towards the sky, he realized that the sun was about to set and it'd be best to call it a day soon. He'd walked non-stop since afternoon and although he wasn't too tired yet, he still discerned that it would be best not to push it. It would be getting dark soon as well and he didn't want to lose his way out here. He decided to call it a day as soon as he found a good enough clearing to set up a camp. It was dangerous to just sleep just anywhere and he wasn't about to risk it.

After Gary had left Cerulean City, Ash had waited in the Pokemon Center till he had lunch. Immediately after that though, he too, left the City of Flowers. He was quite excited to meet Bill, the Pokemon Researcher who developed the Pokemon Transfer System and the one that Professor Oak talked so highly about, and one from whom he hoped he would learn a few things about it. Such opportunities didn't come all the time.

After a few minutes' stroll along the river that flowed through Cerulean and half way into Route 5, something caught Ash's eye. He came to a stop when he saw a few people – about eight to ten – standing along the bank of the river. They appeared to be looking across the river with shocked expressions on their faces, and when Ash followed their gaze, his eyes widened.

On the other side of the river, there appeared a big cave that spread through the area. The cave in itself didn't cause Ash to be surprised, but rather, it was the people who stood at the entrance of the cave that got his attention. He recognized the uniforms that most of those people wore; a grey suit with a massive red-colored R on the front and back.

"That's Team Rocket!" he spat out as he fastened his march and walked over to where all the people stood and watched the events unfold.

Team Rocket had been continuously appearing on the news for the past few years and everyone had at least some idea of who they were. Their crimes of Pokemon theft, attack on Pokemon Reserves among other heinous activities had spread terror all throughout the region of Kanto. Ash carried a deep seethed hatred for them; it wasn't just about their acts towards Pokemon that contributed towards that fact, it was far more complex for him.

He eyed the Team Rocket members that talked on the outside of the cave with disdain. They drove him up the wall as he gritted his teeth, aware that whatever those guys were up to, it wasn't anything good.

There appeared to be several member of Team Rocket guarding the entrance to the cave while two of them worked on a laptop set beside the entrance. There were also two Team Rocket helicopters on the other side of the river in which they had probably arrived. The way it was set up, it seemed as if Team Rocket had some business inside the cave.

"These guys are really up to something big." One of the people who watched Team Rocket thought out loud. He effectively got Ash's attention as the trainer turned to look at the middle-aged man. "I thought that it was just something that the media had been making up to get ratings but,"

"You're talking about Team Rocket?" Ash raised an eyebrow as he questioned the man. Receiving a nod of affirmation from him, Ash cringed. "Those bastards don't have a care in the world about what happens to Pokemon or anyone besides them, for that matter," he expressed his views, hatred the only emotion in his tone. "Acting as if the world exists for them!"

From his words and expression alone, the man could notice how much Ash despised Team Rocket. He couldn't help but wonder what could Team Rocket had done to evoke so much anger from a mere boy, who he could tell was a Pokemon trainer; a new one at that. The man shook his head in resentment. The exploits of Team Rocket were far too cruel for him to even come to terms with. He could only think about how many others there existed who hated Team Rocket just as much as the boy next to him did.

Suddenly, a young man came running from the direction of the forest. "I've called the Police!" he shouted to everyone who stood on the river bank. The man came to a halt next to the others, hands on his knees as he took heavy breaths.

The arrival of the man made Ash ask a question. "When did Team Rocket get here?" The way in which he spoke appeared to be more normal than what he did a minute ago. Ash knew well enough to not take his rage out on people who didn't deserve it.

"It's just been over half an hour," The man next to him answered with a hand on his chin. "We were working nearby and we heard some helicopters flying in. And with that big symbol of theirs, there was no doubt who they were."

"What could they be up to here?" Ash queried to no one in particular. He narrowed his eyes in thought about the reason that Team Rocket could be at a place like this. What could they want from a cave in Cerulean City.

 _It had to be a Pokemon. A rare Pokemon that Team Rocket knew they would find here._

"Is there something that Team Rocket could want from that cave?" The Pallet Town native trainer asked the man that stood beside him.

"Oh yes, surely there is!" He was immediate in his response. "That cave is no ordinary cave," the man explained, folding his arms. "You might not notice it but that's a big dungeon. It has floors underground too and,"

Right as the man paused, Ash's curiosity rose. "And?"

"There are some pretty strong Pokemon living in there." He finished, causing Ash's eyes to widen. "Not just in the Cerulean cave but even behind the cave. And Team Rocket's always went after strong Pokemon to use. If they manage to do it here, it won't be the first time."

"I didn't even know that there was such a place near Cerulean City," Ash eyed the cave again, his thoughts different from what they were a few minutes ago. "Cerulean Cave, huh?"

"You people think you're very smart, do you?" A voice suddenly interrupted the small crowd of men that had gathered on the river bank. All the attention of the people that was focused on Team Rocket's activities around the Cerulean Cave shifted to the direction of the source of the sound.

And what met them was pure astonishment and fear. A few men in Team Rocket uniform approached the crowd, sinister smirk spread across their faces.

Almost everyone took a few steps back as the Team Rocket members came closer and closer, a couple holding pistols while the remaining had Pokeballs in their hands. Things didn't look too good and the people surely knew that. They were frightened; they didn't expect Team Rocket to come out at them. Why were they even still lurking here when they had seen Team Rocket?! Why didn't they go home? All sorts of questions went through their frightened minds.

However, that wasn't the case with simply all of them. Three brave people didn't budge from their positions and instead of being scared, they chose to resist. Of course, the courage to fight off Team Rocket came from the fact that the three all had their own Pokemon that they trusted to defend them and defeat these guys.

Ash unclipped two of his Pokeballs from his belt while the other two – one being the man that he'd been talking to since he arrived there – and the other who appeared to be a construction worker also removed their Pokeballs.

"You first call the Police and now try to fight us?!" One of the members of Team Rocket yelled. He appeared to be agitated that these three people had the courage to stand up to them. He'd make sure that they were taught a lesson for their stupidity in thinking they could beat Team Rocket.

"You don't even look like an important part of Team Rocket," Ash provoked the grunt who'd just spoken.

"What did you say?!" The Rocket grunt shouted through gritted teeth. It was clear that he didn't like the comments made by the trainer.

Ash sniggered. "You're probably just some lowly grunt, hah."

The grunt grit his teeth in rage, taking steps towards Ash as the other grunts followed. "What did you say, runt?!" he clutched onto the collar of Ash's jacket tightly and glared at the raven-haired teenager. "We don't scare you, is that it?"

"It seems like he needs to be taught a lesson." One of the other grunts yelled as he smugly smirked.

"Let him go!" demanded the man from beside Ash. However, these grunts weren't about to listen to anyone as two others surrounded the man, rendering him unable to do anything at that moment.

In this situation, even Ash had to admit that he was at least a little frightened. A few drops of sweat trickled down his neck as one of the Pokeballs in his hand snapped open. His Charmander materialized at his side and he was almost about to greet Ash cheerfully when he noticed the situation Ash was in. Immediately, he bore his fangs and growled at the Team Rocket grunt. The grunt didn't move though, which led to Charmander jumping and slashing the Team Rocket grunt with his claws in an attempt to bail his trainer out of the situation he was in.

The Rocket grunt slammed Ash on the ground at the moment he was scratched by Charmander's claws and fell on the ground himself with a thud.

"Charmander, use Ember on them!" Ash called out from the ground, not hesitant to tell his Pokemon to attack even humans. This wasn't a situation that he could go through if he wasn't able to give such an order to his Pokemon.

It wasn't easy to give that command though. He had to convince himself that even if someone like those people got hurt, it was because of their own bad. They didn't think twice to take away people's Pokemon or hurt them or their trainers so why should they be spared from such treatment? It was what they deserved. Or at least, that was what Ash believed. Although, deep in his heart, he desperately prayed that Charmander's attack would miss and it would only serve as a warning.

The Fire-type wasn't as sure as his trainer about what he was about to do for a couple of moments. Though when he glanced at his trainer, he realized that that was really what his trainer wanted. His trainer knew better than him what was right in the situation and he would trust him.

Flames formed in Charmander's mouth as he jumped forward and let the hot flames loose on the Team Rocket grunt. Everyone watched in astonishment, their eyes wide open as Charmander fired his attack. The Team Rocket grunt that was the target of the attack could only watch as the flames neared him. His body went cold and limbs numb with fright of what was to happen to him.

The man closed his eyes and braced himself for what was to come, a loud cry of fear leaving his lips at that moment. He didn't have enough time to use his Pokemon and even if he did, he was too scared to think clearly. The only thing he could do was pray; pray that he could somehow get out of this situation alive.

The Team Rocket grunt waited for him to be burned to ashes by now. But the pain that accompanied never came. He didn't feel any stinging sensation on any part of the body. He wondered if he was already dead and he didn't even have time to comprehend his death. He slowly began to open his eyes, even though he didn't want to, in the fear of finding out what could've happened to him by now. As he did so, suddenly, his eyes opened up and widened in surprise. He was alive.

Ash gazed at the creature that had stopped Charmander's Ember from reaching its target, his lips parted slightly from one another. He was unable to find words to describe what the Pokemon who'd came out of nowhere had done. Inside his heart, he was relieved that the man wasn't burned but the feeling of awe for the Pokemon that saved the grunt was much stronger.

"That's a," he started, gasping for breath. "Venusaur!"

And indeed, it was the fully-evolved form of the Grass-type starter of Kanto that had stopped Charmander's attack. The Fire-type who stood in front of the massive Seed Pokemon didn't budge, even though fright ran through him. The deadly glare that the Venusaur gave him was enough to suggest that they weren't on the same side.

"That's enough from all of you!" A feminine voice declared. The voice contained power and command, which made all of the grunts including the one who was at the receiving end of Charmander's Ember stand side by side at attention.

The woman whom the voice belonged to jumped out of one of Team Rocket's helicopter, that had almost landed a few meters away from the crowd. In appearance, the woman was young, probably in her early twenties. Her short blue hair suited her pale white skin and hazel eyes. Unlike other members of Team Rocket that Ash had come across so far though, she didn't wear the usual grey uniform. Her clothes were a simple pink shirt and black leggings and her membership of Team Rocket was shown by the black coat that she wore over her shirt.

"Is she.." Ash stuttered as he watched the woman walk towards him. "the Team Rocket Commander?" He wondered about that question all the while as she closed in towards him, an unpleasant look on her face. He quickly discerned that he should call his Charmander back to his ball, which he did the next moment. Surprisingly, that action wasn't met with any resistance from either the Venusaur that still stood where he'd appeared or any of the Team Rocket members. Not even the Female Commander said anything to that.

"Listen you brat," The blue-haired woman called after coming to a halt right in front of Ash. "I know what you're thinking right now." She stated, staring right at Ash, which made him more than a little uncomfortable. She had some presence; she wasn't just any other woman. "But don't even try to interfere with any of Team Rocket's plans. Many young trainers like you have already tried and they've suffered consequences. If you don't want to be in the same condition as those petty trainers, you better not get in our way." She warned, her words sharp enough to make even a trainer with as much determination as Ash have second thoughts.

She wasn't kidding. No way she was. This woman meant business and something in Ash's gut told him that she wasn't someone to be messed around with or to be taken lightly. His best bet for now would be to concede. He couldn't even think of opposing her; not right now, anyway.

Ash gave no evident respond but the female commander of Team Rocket assumed that the lecture he gave him would be enough. It had been for all of the ones she'd warned so far.

"The same goes for all of you!" She yelled as she sternly looked around at each and every person present in the area that wasn't a member of Team Rocket. "Mess with us and be prepared for your lives to be ruined." She declared, her stare piercing through everyone and her voice shaking everyone's will.

It wasn't simply her presence that frightened them to this extent. Make no mistake, she had a terrifying command over them. However, what made them fear her even more was the deadly Venusaur that she possessed. Just looking at it made them cringe with fear. There were a lot of Pokemon any of them had seen that made them feel that way.

"Everything has been taken care of, Commander Allison." One of the grunts reported and saluted the blue-haired woman.

The Team Rocket Commander, now identified as Allison nodded. She looked at Ash one final time before she turned around and started walking from the direction she came from. All the civilians watched the Commander call back her Venusaur back. She must've had more like that Pokemon. She was a Team Rocket Commander after all.

In a matter of a few short minutes, Team Rocket had cleaned up and left in their helicopters. The Police that was called never came. Rather, Team Rocket made their escape even before the Police had the chance to arrive. They'd just been there for a little above half hour and in that, they'd done their work. Everyone present now held Team Rocket as a more serious threat than they ever did earlier. They weren't just evil, they were extremely competent in what they did.

Ash let out a massive sigh of relief, falling on his knees. This happened far too quickly for him to comprehend anything. It felt as if only a moment had passed from when Charmander fired his flames at the Team Rocket grunt and now. It was all just so _frantic_.

The man who'd stood up for Ash, noticed that this encounter with Team Rocket had had an effect on him. He bent down and placed a hand on the shoulder of the boy who appeared to be nothing but dejected. He didn't blame him; that event that just took place would be scary for even full grown men, let alone a young boy his age. There were guns pointed at them, deadly stare from a just as deadly Pokemon that had them on edge and then words that were meant to be taken seriously, thrown at them all at the same time.

"Hey," he called softly, his voice calm enough to not even scare a bird. "You should come rest at my house for the day. It's just a few minutes walk from here." He offered with a gentle smile.

Ash didn't respond for a few moments; he simply stayed on his kneels, eyes firmly locked on the ground. He was totally hammered by what had just transpired. He thought he could defeat Team Rocket himself. He couldn't describe how totally pathetic he felt right then. He hadn't even battled her but just by the looking at that Venusaur, he could tell how strong it was. The difference in that beast and any of his Pokemon was immeasurable.

He finally realized that someone had a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up to look at the man, his eyes still containing bits of terror from the crushing he'd faced through the words of Allison. "Sorry," he stood up, dusting off his clothes. "I didn't catch you."

The man retained his smile. "Would you like to come to my house and rest for the night?" he repeated, his tone remaining the same as before.

Ash forced a smile on his face. "Thank you but I think I'll be fine," he denied politely.

He could discern that the man was kind. However, he didn't want to cause anyone trouble because of him. Not to mention that he didn't want to think about what had happened anymore. It just made him feel so helpless. He hated that feeling. It would be best if he camped somewhere in the forest for the night, or so he thought was the best thing for him to do.

The man stood up after a couple of seconds and sighed. "Alright," he said. "Just make sure you're not getting yourself into a mess like this. You're far too young to face them."

Ash clenched his fists at the realization that he was right. He couldn't take on Team Rocket right now. Defeating a few grunts and defeating one of the Commanders as strong as Allison seemed to be, were two different things altogether. But he knew that it had to be him who'd put Team Rocket to rest. He considered it his duty to do that and he'd do it, no matter what he would need to go through with that vow that he'd sworn to himself.

"Don't worry," he assured. "I'll make sure to do that. Thanks for the asking though. It isn't always that I come across people as kind as you, sir."

As soon as he said that, he waved good bye to the man before he turned around and began his trek. He'd have to find a suitable place to set a camp for the night and it was already starting to get dark.

"And you are surely the bravest young man I've ever met." The man whispered to himself, gazing at the young boy whose figure started to become smaller and smaller until it finally vanished from sight. "Don't be too rash, Ash Ketchum!" He knew who the kid was; the man had quite an interest in young Pokemon trainers and he'd definitely heard of Ash Ketchum. He already thought that he would be becoming an excellent trainer in the future but now, he doubted if _excellent_ would be enough to describe him.

* * *

Ash gazed into the blue sky, various thoughts crowding his mind. The incident with Team Rocket had happened the day before and although Ash left it behind him, the feeling of disappointment still lingered in his heart. It was difficult for him to keep himself going after what he'd witnessed and experienced. Yet, he'd fared well so far and he was sure that he'd be back to being himself in a few days, or so he hoped.

All his Pokemon sat on the ground in front of him, eating the food that their trainer had given them. While Dratini, Ralts and Pidgeotto ate their without any concerns, Charmander didn't feel as good. He glanced at his trainer various times between his meals, having experienced exactly what Ash had experienced.

Suddenly, Dratini crawled to where Ash sat and cooed at him. Moments passed as he waited for the response but he got none from the raven-haired boy. He called out to his trainer again and yet couldn't reach him. Patience was one thing that Dratini didn't have lots of, and soon enough, he lost what little he did. He jerked his head back as greenish energy formed in his mouth.

Charmander's eyes widened when he noticed what Dratini was about to do. He ran, as fast as he could, hoping that he wouldn't be too late. Dratini fired his Dragon Breath attack and just as he did, Charmander tackled him, not intending to hurt him, just not wanting him to hurt Ash.

Ash finally realized what was happening around him when the Dragon Breath whizzed past his face and struck the tree a few feet away. He frantically stood up from his position, his heart pounding faster than usual. He turned to face Dratini, who'd just recovered from the smack that Charmander had given him.

"Dratini?!" he shrieked. He wasn't sure why Dratini attacked him. Was he the target of that Dragon Breath? Or was Dratini simply trying to fend off a wild Pokemon like he'd already done a few times before. "Why'd you do that?" he asked, his tone void of any fury that he could so easily have felt, if he didn't love his Pokemon the way he did.

Dratini yelped a few times in response before he wriggled toward his bowl. He wanted more food, which was the reason he'd been calling out to Ash. However, his trainer simply didn't pay attention to him to even bother giving him more, were the thoughts that ran through Dratini's mind.

Hearing what Dratini had to say, Charmander barked at him, upset that he'd attack his trainer for such a trivial reason. He yelped a few more times and so did Dratini, an argument brewing between the two Pokemon who'd become best buddies. None of them would harm the other though; they just wanted to make their point clear to the other.

Ash frowned and scratched his head at the sight of his two Pokemon arguing. The only thing that he understood so far was that Dratini wanted more Pokemon food. The rest of the argument was a mystery to him. As the duo of dragons fought, he shook his head, simpered and dug out the box of Pokemon food from his backpack, filling Dratini's bowl entirely.

The argument between the two continued for about two minutes and even Pidgeotto and Ralts walked to where the two bickered. They both let out their cries, giving their own opinion on the matter. And apparently, the other two's interference had finally ended the fight between Ash's first two Pokemon. Charmander stepped closer to Dratini and placed a paw on his head and let out a gleeful cry.

Ash sighed. He didn't want his Pokemon to fight amongst themselves, unless of course it was a training session. He shook his head in amusement. He'd thought about what was most important to him since the incident with Team Rocket. Did he want to defeat Team Rocket even at the expense of his Pokemon getting badly hurt? The answer was simple; he didn't.

The most important thing for Ash were his Pokemon. Nothing more mattered. Yes, he had his dream of becoming the best Pokemon Master in the world along with many other goals. However, none of those were as important to him as his Pokemon. He could never cherish anything else more than his Pokemon. That was his decision.

He still wanted to defeat Team Rocket. His hatred for the organization ran so deep that he wanted to crush them, if he could. Though he wouldn't do that if it meant losing his Pokemon. Hence, he'd decided to not take any rash decisions. If he encountered them and had no other choice, he would most definitely fight. However, he wouldn't go out of his way to do so. Not until he was sure that his Pokemon could take it and annihilate Team Rocket without putting themselves at any major risk.

That was his choice. His selection.

All of Ash's Pokemon appeared to be resting, the weather perfect to do so. Ash took a deep breath and decided it was time.

"Hey guys!" he called to each and every one of his Pokemon. He rose up from the ground and walked to where his Pokemon sat.

And all of them could tell that their trainer wanted to tell them something. They could feel it. Despite Ash's tone being close to normal, there was just something different. They all gathered around Ash, determined expressions on their faces.

Ash smiled at the sight of his Pokemon being so serious when he'd called them. "I want to tell you something," he pointed out, as if it wasn't already obvious to them. "You all know that my dream is to become a Pokemon Master." His Pokemon nodded in agreement. "But, I have something really important that I want to do." He waited for a few seconds, took another deep breath and announced. "I want to defeat Team Rocket. I want to make sure that their existence is erased from this world." His expression softened, a smile forming on his features. "Will you guys help me do that?"

That wasn't a question that could have been answered. No, that question should have never exist. They'd already decided to give it their all for Ash. If he desired was to defeat Team Rocket, they'd make it a reality. From the way Ash spoke of them, the Pokemon didn't fail to realize that it wasn't something that they could do right now. If they could, they were sure that Ash wouldn't have told them about it with so much determination. Their power was known to no one better than Charmander who'd been lucky enough to escape the clutches of that deadly Venusaur unharmed.

They all cried out, their eyes filled with determination. They simply had to defeat Team Rocket. They had to become strong so that Ash could become a Pokemon Master and if they were strong enough, they wouldn't have any troubles defeating the likes of Team Rocket. Ralts, Pidgeotto, Charmander and Dratini all embraced their trainer, rubbing against him affectionately. At that moment, they felt that together, they could capture the world.

Ash couldn't help but shed a tear at the devotion and care that his Pokemon showed to him. He considered himself lucky to have met Pokemon that would give their all for him. Needless to say, he would do the same for them. He'd decided to tie his fate to the fates of his Pokemon.

* * *

Ash stood in front of the gate to Bill's Research laboratory. It could easily have been mistaken for a mansion had he not known what it was beforehand. The main entrance had two guards standing on each side. The Research Lab wasn't completely dissimilar to Professor Oak's lab in terms of design though one could tell the difference in terms of the materials used.

The various security equipments were one of the many differences. Even Professor Oak's lab had a good security system but even from outside, Ash could tell that it wasn't nearly as advanced as the one that this Research Facility had.

He eventually strode forward, having examined the awe-inspiring area from outside. On expected terms, one of the guards walked over to him, not letting him by.

"This isn't a place you can enter, kid." He said. He was quite the guard, buffed up body and armed with a handgun and a shotgun. Anyone intruding would be frightened. "This is off limits to trainers."

However, Ash wasn't an intruder. He feared not what the guards could do to him. "Can I speak to Bill, please?" he spoke without the least bit of fear in his voice. "My name is Ash Ketchum. I've been told to see him by Professor Oak."

The guard appeared visibly shaken after Ash's claims that he had an appointment with Bill. "Alright, wait here. I'll contact Master Bill."

Ash nodded. The guard went to the entrance and picked up the receiver attached. He pressed a button, nodded and soon, came back to where Ash stood. "I apologize to think of you as an intruder. Master Bill has called you inside." He bowed slightly, his tone completely different to a minute ago.

"No need to apologize." Ash chuckled. "I understand that security is important and it's not like I had a written consent to enter."

The guard smiled at Ash's words before he lead him into through the gate, letting him into a paradise for science fanatics. Fortunately or unfortunately, he wasn't one. Science intrigued him however they weren't something he could spend all his time on.

Ash still couldn't believe how amazing the inside of the lab was. Even on the outside, there were several machines that he'd never seen before at Professor Oak's lab. They appeared complex and not something anyone could handle. He bet even Professor Oak would face difficulty handling those things. He hadn't even entered the laboratory yet and already, he was astounded.

If Bill was the one who invented all these machines, then that guy was no short of genius. Even that wouldn't be enough to describe him, if these machines and gadgets were truly his creations.

The guard opened the massive double door for him with the use of some sort of card that needed to be swiped. "He will guide you from here."

Inside stood a white-haired man probably in his mid-fifties, white hair and wrinkles signifying his age. His attire made it clear that he was the butler. This was nothing short of a mansion, Ash concluded. He shook his head, a chuckle leaving his lips.

"Hello Mr. Ash," The butler greeted in his gracious and courteous filled voice. "Please enter. Master Bill is waiting for you inside."

Ash did as he was told and watched the door shut close a moment later. If what he witnessed outside was amazing, then what greeted his sight in the main hall could only be described as purely unbelievable. Pokemon Transfer machines, massive computer screens, even different Pokemon eggs kept under observation in glass containers were just the beginning of it. The other devices and gadgets were ones which Ash couldn't even make sense of. What those were used for was a mystery to him. And almost none of those were ones that would be found elsewhere; they were extraordinary.

The butler led him through the various different corridors in the house, complex machines and instruments placed everywhere. Finally, he came to a stop in front of a single door. "This is where Master Bill spends most of his time," The butler said, motioning to the door in front of them.

"What is this?!" Ash couldn't believe what he saw. The door in front of him was anything but normal. Made of some kind of metal, probably steel, it had various sorts of lights flashing on and around it. Beside the door was a handprint sensor, green light continuously emitted from it. Various other instruments which Ash had never seen nor imagined could exist were attached to the door. It gave him the chills just thinking about how much time, effort and money was spent on creating such a door. And it wasn't even the main door, it was Bill's room, well protected by many, many other security systems throughout the house and even outside.

The door slowly opened without either Ash or the butler even moving a finger. And that was when Ash realized that the surprises that Bill held in store for him had just begun. He was never fascinated this much by science, but he just might be starting to fall in love with it. How Gary would regret refusing to come here.

* * *

 **How as the chapter? Boring? Okay? Good? However it was, tell me about it. Reading your reviews and learning something from the constructive criticism really helps me write, as is the case with most writers.**

 **So, how did the man know who Ash was? Is that question what's roaming in your mind? Don't worry, there is a solid reason and it will be disclosed in the upcoming chapters.**

 **I'll be back with another chapter very soon! Also, A Legend Awakened's next chapter is also gonna come out either by the weekend or early next week. I haven't started it yet, but that'll be the one I'll write next before coming back to Flight to Destiny's new chapter.**


	7. A Scientist and A Trainer

**_A Scientist and A Trainer_**

* * *

As the door opened, Ash saw a man sitting with his back to the door. He had curly, blonde hair from what he saw. As the door completely opened, there was a ring that could be heard from the computer the man faced. He stood up from his seat, a smile forming on his face as he saw Ash near the door.

Ash's eyes wandered through the room that had many distinctive features. Some of the technology that he saw wasn't new to him – as he'd already seen those in Professor Oak's lab but some of them bamboozled him. The different types of clock that hung on the walls, the gears and buttons and the multiple screens around the room was only some of the many electronic devices that hung in the room that Ash would say was triple or even quadruple the size of his own bedroom. He lips parted as he failed to recognize and guess what some of the complex gadgets in the room did.

While Ash observed the room, the young man who appeared to be in his early twenties. "Hello," he greeted with a broad smile. "You must be Ash,"

"Hello," Ash replied politely with a smile. "Yes, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town,"

"I'm Bill," The man said and gestured for Ash to come in. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ash shook off all the surprise that he held due to the amazement he felt because of the sheer multitude of electronics equipment around. He grasped the hand that Bill had offered him. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Bill."

"Gnash, can you get us some snacks?" Bill glanced at the butler who had stayed put outside the room.

Gnash nodded. Without uttering a word, he disappeared out of sight, the electronic door shutting on its own once he'd left.

Bill turned his attention back to Ash who'd taken only a couple steps inside the room. He placed a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Have a seat, Ash," he said as he slid a chair that was nearby. "My room can be a bit…daunting," he said. He motioned for Ash to have a seat. "Make yourself at home."

Ash brought a nervous smile on his features. "Ah, thanks." He was in the presence of one of the most successful scientists not just in Kanto, but all over the world. He couldn't help but be tense.

Bill perched himself on the chair that he'd been previously sat on and rolled it closer to Ash. "I see that you've come alone, Ash," he said. "I was told that you and Gary would both come."

Ash raised both his eyebrows and sighed. "Yes" he scratched his head edgily. "But Gary was….. he had somewhere he had to be so he said he didn't have the time,"

"Didn't have the time, eh?" Bill grumbled as he leaned back into his chair, stretching his arms wide. "I see… I see." He laughed for a moment and sat back straight. "I had things prepared for the two of you, but I'll hang on to one of them for now,"

"Things prepared?" Ash titled his head to the side. What was it that Bill was talking about? "What things?" His mind wandered through the possibilities of what it could be. There was a hint of excitement that had built up inside of him. It could be anything similar to the devices present in the room. If it was, he was intrigued.

"Nothing special," he mumbled as he turned around and opened the drawer under his shelf. He removed a watch-like device from it, blue in color and bigger than a normal-sized watch. "Here, try it," he said as he offered it to Ash. "It's called an Xtransceiver. It's a device that's been recently developed in the Unova region and my job was to add some finishing touches to it."

"An Xtransceiver?" Ash eyed the device with interest. He accepted the Xtransceiver took hold of it from different angles. He was careful not to touch the screen. He didn't want to push any buttons on the screen that did anything he didn't want to happen. "Is it like a watch?"

"It can be used as a watch," Bill said. "But it does a lot more than a watch. It can make calls, it works as a map and a lot more,"

Ash's eyes widened at the revelation of the many functions of the Xtransceiver. "Really? It can make calls?!" he shrieked. "

Mobile phones were released in the time but they weren't too prominent for traveling trainers because of the need of signal to make calls through it. They would need to have range and because of their journeys through the wild, where signal towers weren't installed, it would only be a waste to carry it around. They preferred to make calls with the many call booths or Pokemon Center telephones that could be found in any town, and even most villages.

Ash wondered what was different about the Xtransceiver than a normal mobile phone. "But can't all this be done with the help of a mobile phone? Why make a device like this?"

Bill chuckled at Ash's perception. "Indeed, it has the functions that a mobile phone would. But there's something much different about the way Xtransceiver makes calls. It doesn't rely on the signal towers like mobile phones do. It has its very own signals made specifically for Xtransceivers," He appeared to be loving every moment of this explanation to Ash. It may have been because of the sheer interest that Ash showed. "That's what makes it different and so much better for trainers like you. While it can't make phone calls from anywhere, I can assure you it will be much more valuable than a normal mobile phones."

"I see," Ash muttered, still playing with the device to observe the various side of it. It was simple watch-like device yet the things that Bill told him that the Xtransceiver could perform were amazing. He glanced back at Bill. "And you're saying I can just have it?"

Bill's lips parted for a second, before he let out a burst of laughter, clasping his hands together. "Of course, Ash!" he looked at Ash with a lopsided grin. "Did you think you'd have to pay for that?"

"It looks really expensive," he mouthed bluntly. "And you said it's not even out in the market yet."

Bill placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, if only to assure him. "If you want to pay me, do it by winning the Indigo League." His blue eyes sharpened the next moment, glaring right into Ash's brown ones. "I might not look like it, but I'm very fond of Pokemon battles. Of course, I love science but if I didn't have all this, I have no doubt that I would've become a Pokemon trainer."

Bill certainly had a presence. It wasn't his stature that made it that way. Simply the machines that surrounded this room, and the thought that Bill had a hand in developing a lot of them, some of them all by himself was no small task. There weren't many who could win a battle of debate with him.

Ash scratched his head, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Bill said quietly. His sharp expression softened and a gentle smile covered his face "And I'm very interested in watching you in the Indigo League, Ash."

"Interested in watching me?" Ash repeated. He wasn't sure what Bill meant.

"Yes," he confirmed. "And Gary as well as a few more. Your generation has quite a few. You probably don't know this but I was present in _that_ camp. It was quite spectacular. Naturally, being from Kanto, I wanted to see our kids do well. Win against those from other regions." He elaborated on his keen interest.

Bill's eyes when he talked about Pokemon was similar to what Ash noticed in a Pokemon trainer during a battle. It wasn't too dissimilar to his own at such times; filled with passion and an urge to be victorious.

Ash also knew exactly what Bill was talking about, and whom he was referring to. He himself looked forward to his meetings with them. He didn't utter a word, just intently listening to what Bill said.

"I enjoyed watching those kids from other regions as well," He continued and grinned. "But you young trainers from Kanto are the hope. Even Lance, our champion is from Johto. We have always had promising trainers in Kanto," he sighed, nibbling on his lower lip. "But it's been a while since we've had one dominate the leagues the world over."

"That's why you want us to do well in the Indigo League?" Ash asked, curious. He understood what Bill meant. He didn't think as much about trainer's being from a particular region but he could get a grasp of what Bill said.

"Even in the Indigo League, there'll be trainers from other regions. But you're the ones representing Kanto." He said, fingers laced as he leaned forward, absorbed in his speech. "Remember Ash, you're representing Kanto. Not just in the Indigo League, but in any Pokemon tournament you participate in. There'll be people behind you who you don't even know."

Ash couldn't muster up any words in response to Bill. He'd been shocked at the revelation that he would be a representative of the entire Kanto region. Of course, he always knew that there were trainers from other regions participating in the Pokemon League of the Kanto region. He never imagined the people who weren't Pokemon trainers took it so seriously. However, Bill made it clear that there were those that did.

The blonde-haired researcher realized that his ranting had gotten to Ash. He shook his head, letting out a chuckle. "Don't worry Ash," he said gently. "I'm sure you'll do well,"

Ash snapped out of his daze as Bill nudged his shoulder. "Thanks," he smiled wryly. "I can't slack off then,"

"I'm sure a student of Professor Oak won't," Bill rolled his eyes after he'd said that, having experienced being a student of Professor Oak in the past. "Anyway, I also want you to try these," he turned around again, this time opening the drawer to the very bottom and picked out some balls.

"Are those Great Balls?" Ash asked as Bill showed him the balls in both his hands.

"Yes," Bill said. "I don't usually make Pokeballs but I've tried my hand at a few," He revealed six balls in his hands, three colored blue and white and three brown and white. "I'm not sure if they're up to the level of the standard Great Balls and Ultra Balls, but they won't be far behind."

"I can't accept that," Ash denied, shaking his head. He frowned. "I mean I know that you want me to do well and all, but I just can't take these."

Bill scratched his head and frowned. "Just think of these as trial balls," he said. "You're doing me a favor by using them, in fact. If you give me the result of the use of these balls, it'll tell me how good these balls are, and that would be a huge help for my future Pokeball developments."

Of course, he'd made that fact up. It was true that the balls he'd made were prototypes. However, it wasn't as if they hadn't been trialed. It was partially true that he wanted more data on how well they worked. He didn't mind mixing a lie or two if that got his work done.

Ash still remained skeptical, staring at the balls for a few more moments. Eventually, he accepted the offered balls from Bill's hand. "I'll take them if you say that," he looked back at Bill, leaning back into his chair. "Am I supposed to tell you if I caught a Pokemon using these balls or not?"

"They will work better than normal Pokeballs," he began. "So you should try these balls on stronger Pokemon that you encounter." He glanced at the ceiling, in thought of a better example. "Say a strong, fully evolved Pokemon. Depending on their strength, you should either use a Great Ball or an Ultra Ball." He shrugged and smiled, scratching his head. "I'd have given you more but I haven't made a lot of these."

"These are more than enough," Ash simpered.

"Moving on, Ash" Bill said, getting Ash's attention once again as the raven-haired trainer eyed him. "How many badges do you have?"

"I've got two so far," Ash replied plainly.

"I expected as much," Bill grinned. "I assume you're going to challenge the Vermilion City Gym next?"

"Yeah, that's the plan."

Bill's grin grew even wider, his gaze fixed at Ash. "Most new trainers wouldn't challenge that Gym this early in their Pokemon journey. And most new trainers who do, don't even manage to put up a fight. Vermilion City's Gym leader is a tough one."

Ash did expect the Gym Leaders to be stronger as he progressed in his journey. Much stronger than Pewter City and Cerlulean City. However, Bill talking the Vermilion City Gym Leader wasn't what he'd expected. What did Bill mean? As he stressed, he remembered that this wasn't the first time he'd heard something like this about the Vermilion City Gym Leader.

He remembered once a few months back that Professor Oak had also said something similar. It was when Professor Oak was giving some beginner tips to the trainers who were going to start their journeys soon after. He'd told them to be prepared for the Vermilion City Gym. Or, challenge the Vermilion Gym after they had received at least three badges.

It wasn't that Ash didn't pay attention to Oak's warning. He'd already decided the order in which he was going to challenge the Gym Leaders before Oak told them about it. And he wanted to follow that order.

The recurrence of the warning from Bill made him reconsider. Only for a few short moments though. He sighed, shook his head and smiled at Bill. "I know Bill. Professor Oak did tell me about it, he said, a confident smirk on his face. "But I've already decided to challenge the Vermilion Gym next. And I will!"

Bill blinked and then burst out in a chuckle. "That's the perfect answer. I'd have been disappointed had you told me that you were going to go somewhere else after I told you that Lt. Surge is no ordinary Gym Leader."

Ash nodded. Lt. Surge would prove to be a challenge to him indeed. Professor Oak or Bill wouldn't be wrong.

Right then, the sound of the bell rang. Bill pushed a button on his desk and the door opened automatically. It was Gnash. With a nod from Bill, Gnash entered the room with the wheeled table. He brought the table between Ash and Bill, taking out the tray and revealing everything that he'd brought. There were cookies of different kinds, some chocolate, some filled with milk cream, some chips and two cups of coffee.

"Thanks, Gnash." Bill smiled at his butler. "I'll call you if we need anything."

Gnash took the queue and strode out of the room right away. He was quite the butler. And he acted differently around Bill. Ash hadn't heard him say a word to Bill after his arrival yet.

Bill glanced at Ash and gestured for him to have the snacks, as he put some sugar in his coffee. "Eat up, Ash," he said. "You want any extra sugar?"

"I'd like a bit, yeah," Ash nodded. "I like my coffee sweet."

"Just like me," Bill chuckled and added some more sugar to Ash's coffee. He took a sip of his coffee, wowing at the taste."So Ash, do you mind introducing me to your Pokemon?"

Ash sipped into his own coffee, his eyes widening at how good it tasted. He almost missed Bill's request. "You want to see my Pokemon?" Receiving a nod from Bill, he continued. "You want me to show them to you here?"

"Will that be a problem?" Bill queried, sitting back straight in his comfy chair, sipping into his coffee some more.

The room was spacious enough for a Snorlax to be in, but that wasn't why Ash was hesitant. He was sure Charmander, Pidgeotto and Ralts would be perfectly mannered, but he wasn't so confident in Dratini's ability to be calm. The room was far too expensive and it wouldn't be a pretty sight if Dratini began to unleash his attacks in there. Various scenarios of Dratini destroying some of the stuff in the room made him grimace.

Bill snapped his finger in front of Ash's face. Even though the trainer hadn't realized it yet, he'd been in thought for a minute already. And neither did he know of the various weird faced that he'd made in that time.

"You with me, Ash?" Bill waved his hand in front of Ash's face.

Eventually, Bill had gotten through. "Uh- yes, Bill?" Ash blurted out.

Bill smiled at the confused look on the trainer's face. "Is something wrong? With showing me your Pokemon?"

Ash shook his head and got hold of the glass of water on the table. He took a couple sips and spoke. "I don't think it's safe for your room if I release one of my Pokemon here,"

Bill blinked in confusion. "You mean you've got a wicked Pokemon?" His expression completely changed. His eyes grew wider, accompanied by a grin so large that Ash couldn't quite make if this was the same Bill. The Researcher unintentionally banged the table lightly and gushed forward.

"Not exactly wicked," Ash chuckled nervously. He rolled his eyes at the imagination of Dratini being wicked. It wasn't a good sight. "He's just a bit…too lively."

"Sounds like a wonderful Pokemon," Bill's eyes glittered. "We can go out to the fields after eating."

Ash shrugged. Bill wasn't going to let it go. Not that Ash minded showing his Pokemon to Bill. He only feared what Dratini could do. "Sure,"

Just like that, the duo had a few snacks, all the while Ash asked some questions that he had regarding some of the many gadgets that intrigued him in the room. Bill answered most of those questions in a way that Ash was able to grasp the basic concept of how those things worked. Ash found it interesting. So interesting in fact, that he didn't want to stop talking about it. However, just like him, Bill too was curious to see the Pokemon Ash had caught.

* * *

After almost an hour of discussion and talk inside Bill's room, the two left the house and walked to the empty fields behind Bill's mansion. It wasn't outside Bill's mansion. It was part of it. And the space was huge. It had a few trees here and there, some flowerbeds, but otherwise, it was just a massive grassy field.

"Alright," Ash breathed as he unclipped all his Pokeballs. "Come out, everyone!"

As he threw the four Pokeballs in the air, his Pokemon materialized and chirped. They thought that it was training time, so they instinctively turned to Ash. Not much later, they realized that there was someone new there. They all looked at the human curiously, but none made a move.

"Guys, meet Bill," Ash walked over towards Bill's and pointed his hand at the young, blonde researcher. "He's a Scientist."

The four looked at Bill for a few moments, and eventually, walked over towards him as their trainer told them to. They greeted him with chitters.

"It's nice to meet you guys!" Bill exclaimed. There was excitement in his tone. "A Charmander, a Pidgeotto, a… Ralts," he eyed the green Psychic-type before he glanced to Ash. "Did you catch this Ralts in the wild?"

Ash scratched his cheek. "Yeah, you can say that,"

"Quite a catch in the Kanto region," Bill said. "They're hardly seen in Kanto. They're native to Hoenn but they're not that rare in Sinnoh. They're much rarer in Kanto and Johto though,"

"I was lucky with Ralts," Ash admitted. "She was injured when I found her, but someone in the woods near Pewter City was taking care of her. I didn't have to fight her for the capture."

Bill took in the information of Ralts' capture and nodded. His eyebrow twitched as he realized that one Pokemon was missing from the four that were present in front of him just now. From the corner of his eye, he could see where the fourth had gone off to. "Is that the lively Pokemon you talked about?" Bill let out a light laugh.

Ash couldn't help but laugh with Bill. Dratini had greeted Bill just fine, which was an improvement in his behavior in itself. It was unfair to expect Dratini to shed his habits at once though. The blue serpent had crawled to the comforts of the shade of a tree nearby. Rolled up, it appeared uninterested in meeting this new person that his trainer had introduced him to.

"Dratini can be like that," Ash found it difficult to word exactly how to describe his Dratini. He shook his head, arms folded. "Dratini, come here!"

Dratini opened one of his eyes after he'd heard the calls of his trainer. He yawned. By now, he'd learned to respect his trainer. He'd come to love Ash, in fact. Like an obedient Pokemon, Dratini lazily crawled over towards where Ash stood and looked up at his trainer, letting out a coo.

Bill bent down, his eyes clearly interested in Ash's Dratini. "And a Dratini. Where did you find this little boy?" he looked up at Ash, already discerning that Dratini was male from the way Ash spoke to the Dragon-type.

"He's…. my starter," Ash grinned. He figured Bill would be quite surprised by the revelation.

Bill lips parted in curiosity. "Your starter?" He glanced at Charmander and then back at Ash. "You mean to say Charmander isn't your starter?"

The conversation between the two humans had also caught the interest of all the Pokemon. They'd been listening intently of what the two discussed. Even Dratini, although attempting to hide it, had his ears open to the conversation. They did after all, understand human speech, Ralts more than the other three, but everyone could make out what the humans talked about.

"No, I found Charmander very soon after I started my journey," Ash said, bending down and petting his Charmander, who howled sweetly in response. "Do you think I'm lying?" Ash's lips curled up in a playful smile.

"Of course not," Bill said. He chuckled as he waved his hands in front of himself. "I just didn't think Professor Oak had a Dratini to give to new trainers." He petted the Pokemon in question. Dratini wasn't particularly fond of being petted, but he'd decided to control his emotions for the sake of his trainer. He only liked to be treated this way by one human – Ash.

"Well, it wasn't Professor Oak who gave me Dratini," Ash stated bluntly. "It was Lance."

Bill's eyes widened at the revelation that Ash made. He stood up in stupor, harshly but unintentionally shoving Dratini aside. "Lance gave a new trainer a Pokemon!" he shrieked, his relaxed posture going out of shape; hands spread and jaw dropped.

Ash was quite taken aback by the response. Was it really this big a deal that Lance caught a Pokemon to give to a new trainer?

"He said he couldn't catch a Charmander that Professor Oak asked him to," Ash said. "But he caught a Dratini instead. So that was that."

A crooked smile made its way to Bill's features. He calmed himself, but not fully. "And you believed him?" he questioned.

"Uh- Yes," Ash answered, lines forming on his forehead. "Why would Lance lie?"

At that point, Bill almost burst out laughing. Almost. He controlled his laughter, a hand making its way to cover his mouth. He turned around, so as to not face Ash. He hadn't had to control a laugh like in a long, long time.

Ash scratched his head in confusion. Was this how Bill usually reacted? He shoved the thought that Lance would lie to the back of his mind, not doubting his idol's words for even a moment.

It took him some seconds, but Bill eventually calmed himself down. This was turning out to be a much ecstatic meeting that he could've ever imagined. He was sure Lance had lied. He was certain. He'd worked as an assistant to Professor Oak for a while in the years gone by, and he knew full well how the Pokemon to be given to new trainers were obtained. Yes, they were transferred to Professor Oak. But Lance never had a hand in that. And he was sure that with the workload of a Champion, Lance didn't have any time to work as a Pokemon Provider for even the great Professor Oak.

"Of course, he wouldn't lie!" Bill coughed. "There's no way our Champion would need to lie to give you a Pokemon," he smiled. He had never seen this side of Lance. It was pretty similar to how he'd made Ash accept the Xtransceiver and the Pokeballs earlier. There sure were ways they would go to have their way.

Ash sighed. Of course, Lance wouldn't lie.

"I have to say Ash," Bill started, his gaze on Ash's Pokemon. "You really have got some amazing Pokemon. I'm not much of an expert in judging a Pokemon's strength but I'm sure you'll turn them into something even better."

Ash smiled at the compliment from the researcher. "Thanks," he said. "Yes, they are amazing." He bent down and caressed Ralts' face who'd clutched onto his leg. Ralts squealed in delight and nuzzled her face on her trainer's leg.

"And they love you!" Bill laughed as he too, began to pet Pidgeotto who closed her eyes and let the human touch her feathers.

Bill observed Pidgeotto, Charmander and Dratini one by one, petting them on the head. Charmander and Pidgeotto didn't have a problem with it but Dratini did. He controlled the urge to launch an attack though.

Next, he moved towards Ralts, who instinctively hid herself behind Ash when Bill got closer to her.

"Don't be scared," Bill chimed. He tried to bring his hand closer to Ralts but she hid towards' Ash's other leg this time. "You love your trainer, don't you?"

Ash bent down and picked Ralts in his hands. "Don't worry Ralts," he comforted the Psychic-type Pokemon, nuzzling his cheek against hers. "Bill just wants to be friends."

Ralts gazed into her trainer's eyes and nodded after a second. Still hesitant, she turned to look at Bill, as Ash placed her body on the ground. She hadn't had close proximity with many humans other than Tasha and then Ash. She didn't have a problem being around humans, as long as she was with Ash. Getting too close to them, however, was totally different.

"Atta girl!" Bill cheered, as Ralts finally let him touch her. The little green Pokemon closed her eyes as he touched her, but after a few moments, she snapped them open. She looked into Bill's eyes and let out a coo. This human wasn't too bad, she could tell.

Ash smiled at the sight of Ralts getting comfortable and abandoning her fear towards Bill. She'd acted like that on a few occasions before, and he would've been talking to her soon about it. He'd decided to explain how she didn't need to be afraid of humans. Being wary of some was fine. But it appeared as if he wouldn't need to do that. The more she learnt on her own, the better it was.

* * *

The two humans and the four Pokemon interacted in the fields for about half an hour before making their way back inside. This time, it wasn't Bill's room. It was the hall of his mansion. Bill had told Ash to not call his Pokemon back inside their Pokeballs. They would be hungry, he'd said.

And they were. The way they grubbed the Pokemon food offered by Bill made it clear. Dratini gulped down the food in a way that even had Ash embarrassed. The other three showed much more etiquette in their eating habits.

In the time the Pokemon ate, Bill gave Ash a trip of his house. He showed the raven-haired trainer multiple different gadgets and some more things that were in development with him. One thing that caught Ash's interest was one of the new Pokemon training gadgets that Bill was working on.

"So this can help Psychic-type Pokemon train in their minds?!" Ash asked, observing the purple-colored necklace, which had a shining pink orb in the middle.

"If it's successfully completed, it will." Bill replied. It was clear he like the enthusiasm Ash showed towards his devices. "It's in the starting stages of its development right now, and it will take some time to complete."

Ash rubbed the stone in the middle. "Is this made from Psychic Plate?"

Bill clicked his fingers. "Bingo!" he said. "The Psychic Plate helps strengthen the Psychic abilities. This way, they can make a scenario in their mind. The strength of the Psychic Plate helps them to retain that without losing focus. If they can do well in their mental battle, it definitely will increase their strength as far as their Psychic abilities go."

Ash nodded, without uttering a word.

"The will be made such that their battle doesn't affect their minds." Bill continued his explanation. "You see, Ash, there are still ways to strengthen a Psychic-type Pokemon's mental energy without using such a device. But that takes very high level Pokemon and a mastery in Psychic energy that only the Psychic-types of the highest level possess." He nonchalantly rubbed his finger on the stone. "And using so much mental power has its side effects. It can take a toll on the user's mind. That's why it's not really safe to do this, for even high level Pokemon." He stressed the last part.

"I see," Ash said, glancing at Bill and then back at the necklace. "So this can change the way Psychic-type train,"

"Well, it might," Bill said. "It's been in the works for over three years now. If we're able to complete it and the Pokemon League deems it safe, it will definitely have an impact."

Bill showed Ash some more of his projects. He absolutely loved explaining it to Ash. And Ash loved every moment of listening to it. Some of the projects in the work could prove so useful in training Pokemon that he almost thought about trying it, before being reminded by Bill that most of them are incomplete.

"Your house is quite fascinating," Ash couldn't help but awe, as they finally reached back to where they'd started. "Some of those things," he struggled to put it into words, pausing for a few seconds. "I couldn't even have imagined some of them even existed!"

"That's the power of Science for you!" Bill said with a grin. "There's almost nothing that Science cannot explain," He chose his words carefully when he said that.

Ash couldn't really disagree. Not after experiencing such amazing stuff.

Ash's glance caught the clock. "It's already 5 pm," Ash mumbled before he looked at his Pokemon, who were resting in the corner of the room, and then at Bill. "I better get going,"

"We've got plenty of rooms," he said with a grim smile, pointing his hand to the corridor beside him. "Stay the night at least,"

"I appreciate the thought, Bill," Ash smiled. "But I think I've caused you enough trouble for one time. I'm used to camping out now. You don't need to worry."

"You won't be able to go much further in a couple of hours anyway," Bill said, putting a hand on Ash's shoulder. "You can leave early in the morning, all rested up." He let out a playful chuckle. "I've probably tired you out by telling you all that stuff about all my projects. And besides," he smirked followed by a wink. "Kids should listen to their elders."

Ash rolled his eyes at being called a kid. "Alright, Bill the elder," he groaned. "I guess you're right that I won't get far today."

Bill smiled. "That doesn't sound too bad, y'know?" he joked before the two of them burst out in laughter in unison.

* * *

Ash stood on the gate of Bill's mansion, a smile on his face. Bill too smiled as the two grasped the other's hands in a handshake.

After agreeing to stay the night at Bill's house, Ash and Bill had some fun watching some Pokemon League battles videos from last year. Ash had to admit that Bill had quite the collection of Pokemon battles. They watched some of those; Bill telling Ash about what he liked in those battles while Ash analyzed them and tried to make sense of the unusual ways of fighting.

He'd watched most of the battles of last year's Indigo League but at the time, he'd watched it with excitement rather than having an eye out for the strategic aspect of the battles. This time, he was able to make out why certain moves were used the way they were. Now that he was a Pokemon trainer and had trained his very own Pokemon, he understood those aspects much better. It was one thing to battle with Pokemon that you didn't own like he'd done in his younger years and another to raise his own Pokemon and use the moves he'd taught them in battle.

Ash was quite surprised by the amount of knowledge Bill possessed when it came to Pokemon battles and the subtlety of it all. At first, Ash had assumed that Bill would just be a casual fan who loved Pokemon battles. Almost everyone in the entire world watched them, so it would come as no surprise that a Researcher would. However, Bill had quite the eye for strategies and the way a move was executed. Ash was quite amazed at how much thought Bill put in his explanation. He had to remind himself that he was in the company of a world renowned Researcher; one who'd achieved more in only a few years than many Researchers did in their entire lives.

Ash was also able to get a much deeper knowledge of the Xtransceiver that Bill had _gifted_ him later that day. When Bill gave it to him, he'd explained the basic features but this time, he went one step further and explained some of the very best features in detail, and how some of them worked.

"This is goodbye then, Bill," Ash said, pursing his lips.

Bill sighed. "I guess it is. I can't tell you how I loved the time I had with you. It's not too often that I get visitors here." He rolled his eyes as he glanced at the ground before smiling. "Not ones who'd listen to me blabber all day anyway."

"You'd get a lot more guests if you didn't have your guards," Ash snorted. "And I bet a lot of them wouldn't be cool."

Bill shook his head in amusement. "Indeed. I'm grateful for them working for me in the middle of nowhere."

Ash let out a laugh at the antics of Bill. The guy was way more relaxed than he'd expected. He had to admit that he expected Bill to be somewhat arrogant and stuck-up. Not everyone achieves as much as he did and not in the amount of years he did. He was a great guy. One Ash would love to spend more time with.

"I better get going then," Ash sighed. He did love the time he spent here. "I don't wanna give you a chance to tell me to stay another night because it was late,"

Bill cleared his throat. "I will say I wouldn't really mind that, to be honest with you,"

Ash turned around and glanced at Bill over his shoulder. "Thanks for everything, Bill. I'll try my best to get some data for you on the Pokeballs."

"More importantly, Ash" Bill started. He eyes narrowed as he stressed on the words he spoke. "Gimme some great battles to watch. I'll try to make it to the Pokemon League if I can," It was quite some ways away but Bill seemed excited already.

"Don't worry about that," Ash confidently gushed. "My Pokemon will be much stronger by that time, and I'm sure they'll be able to put on a show for you,"

"Well then," Bill said, shrugging. "I'll be looking forward to that."

"See ya, Bill!" Ash spoke those final words as he stood straight and began his march.

"Goodbye!" Bill spoke into the distance as he watched Ash take steps and get away from the mansion, one step at a time. "Quite the fascinating guy you are Ash!"

* * *

Ash yawned as he kept his sleeping backpack inside his backpack. It was just 7 in the morning and he'd been able to keep up with the schedule he'd set thanks to the Xtransceiver that he'd received from Bill. It had proved to be a helpful device. He was able to make a list of things he wanted to train his Pokemon in the Xtransceiver without having to rely on his memory.

It had been two days since Ash left Bill's mansion and continued on his way to Vermilion City. He'd trekked quite a bit in those two days. His schedule was to get up at 7 in the morning, train, then be on his way, stop for lunch, and then again walk until it was sunset. He didn't really do much training after sunset because of the tiring journey he was in. Instead, he used that time to get to know his Pokemon better, talking to them and having some fun.

After packing up his tent in his bag, Ash got the small bowls out of his bag and put some food on each of them. His bag had become rather heavy due to multiple stuff he had to carry now that he had more Pokemon. He was quite lucky that his mother had trimmed up on the things he was going to take at the start of his journey.

"Your food's ready guys!" Ash called out as he stood. The four Pokemon who were talking to one another up until then quickly ran towards their trainer and didn't waste any time in getting to their food. "You guys sure are hungry today," Ash smiled as he saw his Pokemon munch all the Pokemon food down. Like always, Dratini loved his food and preferred to eat it quicker than the others, getting some food over his face in the process.

Ash shrugged and sighed. "Take it easy, Dratini." He sat down and wiped Dratini's face with his handkerchief. "Your food's going nowhere,"

Dratini let out a hiss in response, letting his trainer wipe his face before going back to one of his favorite tasks. It quite enjoyed the food that Ash always gave him. Yes, it had been the same food over and over again, unless they were in a town or city. But it still tasted amazing to him.

Ash beamed at his Pokemon as he perched himself under a tree nearby, showing a wide grin as he saw his Pokemon enjoy their food. He grabbed his own packed food from his backpack. He opened the plastic cover to reveal a burger. That was his go to food whenever he was on a trip. He walked enough not to get fat eating all these.

Right then, something caught Ash's attention. He could feel something close to him. It was behind the tree. He waited a few moments before he acted. As the feeling of this presence got stronger, Ash jumped up, his brows furrowed together. He unconsciously wiped some sweat with his shirt as he took a couple steps backwards.

The Pokemon who'd been enjoying their meal a few seconds earlier too had gotten wind of what was happening. They too sensed it. Something was hiding behind the tree where Ash stood. They couldn't make out what it was.

Finally, Ash decided to see what it was. He'd run out of patience. He scurried to his left and his eyes widened when the realization came. He recognized the creature. A bipedal yellow creature with a kite shaped face. Its shoulders and chest were brown and it had a long, yellow tail.

"An Abra!" Ash exclaimed.

The cry of surprise from Ash had the Abra spring up. It furrowed its eyes, letting out a cry as it spread its arms wide.

Ash covered his ears, a grimace on his face as the sound which Abra emanated reached him. It wasn't just a sound. There was a small psychic current created in the air that flowed around. His Pokemon too grimaced from their positions.

As the attack ended, Ash grinned. This was a great chance for him. Abra were rare Pokemon. Their final evolutions were strong and Ash couldn't help but think about the possibilities that the Psi Pokemon could open for him. He had to catch it. He absolutely had to.

Dratini howled as he crawled its way up to behind the tree where Abra was. He opened his mouth wide and launched his attack. The Dragon Breath just whizzed past Abra's ear. The Psychic-type took a few steps back, fearful of the foe that it would have to face if it stayed there.

As Abra brought its hands together to concentrate psychic energy inside its body, Ash dug his, clenching his fists. A new capture always excited him. "Dratini!" Ash shouted urgently. "It's gonna use Teleport! Use Dragon Breath! Quick!"

Dratini opened its mouth and charged the required energy. He fired it where Abra had been but it was too late. Abra had disappeared from its position. The Dragon Pokemon quizzically turned his head around to track his foe but failed.

Ash gritted his teeth in frustration. He kicked the ground, angry at himself for letting the Abra use Teleport. How could he have been so lost in thought that the Abra had enough time to use Teleport.

He was brought back to his senses when he heard Charmander's howl. He looked at where Charmander pointed his fist. It was there. Abra had used Teleport but it had only managed to get to the end of the field to the left of them. It was a clear field. Ash still had a chance to catch it.

Ash glanced at where his backpack was. There was no chance it would go anywhere form here. "Let's go guys!" he yelled. His grin showed that he'd gotten back the enthusiasm. He wanted that Abra. "That Abra's gonna be our new friend!"

As Ash scurried towards the Abra, his Pokemon followed suit. In a few moments Ash caught up to where the Abra was, and his Pokemon caught up to where he was. His forehead creased at the sight of Abra bringing its hands together again. It was planning another Teleport.

"Charmander, use Ember!" he commanded. "Dratini, Aqua Jet!"

Ash wouldn't normally think of taking on a wild Pokemon in an unfair fight. But here, it hardly mattered. The odds of the Abra escaping again were high. He had to make sure the attacks hit. As long as they did, he was confident he'd be able to capture the Abra.

Dratini gushed ahead, its body gradually being covered in swirling water. Charmander's flames too made their way towards Abra. But again, the Abra disappeared before either of the attacks could reach it.

Ash clenched his fists. "Not again!" Two chances and he wasn't able to catch it. He glanced around to check for any signs of the Abra nearby. He couldn't find it. "Ralts, can you feel Abra nearby?"

Ralts closed her eyes, emanating a weak psychic energy that traveled in all directions around her. She felt the different trees and some local Pokemon around. However, she couldn't feel any signs of Abra. She opened her eyes, lightly chirping as she looked up at her trainer. Her shoulders slumped. She was disappointed to not have found the Abra.

Ash jerked his head back, the bright sunshine finally crawling up to him. He wiped his forehead with his hand. "Damn!" he cursed under his breath. If only he'd remained calmer and thought about a better strategy to attack, the Abra wouldn't have been able to flee. His excitement had gotten the better of him.

He grabbed his hat and sighed. It was all his fault.

The Pokemon beside him appeared to be disappointed as well, their heads hanging, shoulders slumped. Ash grabbed his hat and sighed. "It's alright guys," he said. He sat on the ground and stroked Ralts' head. "You guys did your best. Don't worry, we'll find some other great Pokemon."

The Pokemon looked up at him and after a moment of hesitancy, they all cheered. As long as their trainer didn't mind, they didn't either. None of them minded a few more Pokemon friends.

* * *

 **How was the chapter? It's been quite a while since I've updated a story, but hopefully, I'll be able to update it more frequently now. I'm already working on the next chapter and it's going pretty well.**

 **If you guys have suggestions about something I should add in the story, feel free to tell them to me in the comments or PM.**

 **As always, thanks for reading. And also, sticking around. The next chapter will hopefully be out by the weekend or before it.**


	8. Encounters

_**Encounters**_

* * *

 **Like I'd said, I'm back with another chapter by the weekend. It's so good to meet a deadline. I haven't really done that for the last few chapters of any of my stories. So it feels good!**

* * *

Ash clicked a few buttons on the Xtransceiver as he sat stood from his seat on the bench. He'd finished putting all of the bowls of his Pokemon inside his backpack after they had their lunch. He'd decided to rest in a trainer's shelter on his way. It was just a small hall with a few benches inside. At the time, there was no one but Ash there.

After the failed capture of the Abra that Ash came across, they'd walked for another four days. They came across a few Pokemon trainers on the way and a few more in a small village in which they stopped by for a day. All in all, they had been able to get some pretty good practice going. The Pokemon that they encountered weren't anything new with the usual Pidgey, Spearow, Rattata, Bellsprout and some other commonly found Pokemon on their way.

Ash had done some research on a few new moves that he'd planned on teaching his Pokemon. Ralts' defensive moves were fine for now, but she needed a better way to attack. With her history of coming back home to Tasha injured, he'd figured that she needed some better moves and tricks that would help her if she had a move strong enough to fend off Pokemon.

As for Pidgeotto, Ash had been planning to teach her Twister and Steel Wing. He had that planned for quite a while but decided to take one move at a time. They'd began training for the Steel Wing. Pidgeotto could now harden her wings but only for a few moments. It wasn't enough for the attack to be executed in battle. She would lose the glow as soon as she concentrated on flying and the hardness in her wings would go along with it.

He was confident that she'd be able to perfect it soon. He could take his time teaching her a Steel-type move. It was good for her moveset but it wouldn't be of any use in his next Gym battle. He remained confident of getting it done after it.

Dratini too needed to learn moves that would use all his skill. So far, his raw power had made him into the battler he was but with a more complete and well-rounded moveset, Dratini would be able to battle much better than he currently did. He would be able to harness its full potential.

Charmander probably was in the least need to learn a new move. That didn't mean that Ash wouldn't try to teach him one. Charmander was one of the Pokemon he'd decided to use against the Vermillion City Gym Leader and by all the things he'd heard about Lt. Surge, he would need to bring all the tricks out to win the Gym battle there.

There was much to think about for Ash, but thankfully for him, there was some time before he reached Vermilion. He planned on challenging the Gym as soon as he reached Vermillion City. For him to be prepared to do that, he needed his Pokemon to be ready. From what he'd learned previously about Vermillion City Gym battle, it was going to be a two-on-two battle. He wouldn't be using Pidgeotto surely because of the massive type disadvantage that she would be in. That left him with Charmander, Dratini and Ralts.

If he was to use Ralts, he'd definitely need to do some training with her and test her in more Pokemon battles. So far, the only two battles Ralts had been in were against two trainers he'd fought on the way. They were trainers with no badges who'd almost begged Ash to fight them. The Rattata and Spearow she'd fought posed no challenge to her. Ash figured it was about time he started to get Ralts battle-ready for the future. Her typing and the variety of moves she could learn would turn her into a powerful battler.

Ash removed the four shrunken Pokeballs from his pocket. "It's time to get going, guys." He said. He tapped Ralts and Pidgeotto with their Pokeballs first before moving on to Dratini and Charmander. As he was about to tap Charmander on the head, the Fire-type jumped back a few steps. Ash raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Charmander?"

Charmander brought his claws together nervously. He cried a couple of times wanting to make his thoughts known, turning around and taking steps forward when his trainer cocked his head.

Ash brought his eyebrows together and stood up. "You wanna walk with me?"

The Pokemon in question instantly turned around and nodded furiously. He chimed and leapt up in the air, making his excitement known.

"I don't see a problem with that," Ash beamed at his Pokemon. He then turned to Dratini and brought his Pokeball forward but Dratini too resisted, crawling out of the way. "So you don't wanna go inside the Pokeball either?" he cackled in amusement.

Dratini cooed in agreement and crawled up on Ash's back, resting his head on hiss trainer's shoulder while the rest of his body floated behind his back.

Ash shook his head. He could tell that Dratini had resisted going inside his Pokeball because Charmander decided to remain outside. He wondered though why Charmander had urged to stay out. Did he just want to have some fresh air for longer? Was it that he wanted to try walking with his trainer? In the end, it didn't matter, Ash concluded. There was nothing wrong with them wanting to be outside for a while.

"Okay then," Ash started, clutching the belt of his backpack. "Let's get going."

Ash and Charmander with Dratini on Ash's shoulder began their trek. Dratini closed his eyes shut, just feeling up and down as Ash walked, while Charmander excstatically walked side by side with his trainer.

"Hey!" A voice called, causing Ash to stop. "Ash?"

Ash turned around when his name was called in a questioning manner. It was a familiar voice. His lips curled to the right as he saw the face of the one who'd called him. "Hey Brock!" He greeted. What was the Gym leader of Pewter City doing here? He wore a green vest over a brown shirt and black pants and had a large travelling bag handing behind him. "What're you doing here?" he said. The next second, he continued realizing that he might've sounded rude. "I mean, this is far away from your Gym. How come you're here?"

Brock smiled in response to Ash. "I'm traveling now." He answered, taking a few steps so he was in front of Ash.

"What about the Gym?" Ash asked curiously, an eyebrow raised.

"You see," Brock started. "My father returned home and he took over the Gym. It happened soon after you won the Gym battle we had. I tried to catch up to you, but thought you'd be way ahead."

"I would've been had I not had a few interesting places to visit," Ash said. He rubbed the back of his head as he continued. "You're going to be a Pokemon trainer, then?"

He was interested if he would have another rival.

Brock shook his head. "No," he said. "I am hoping to become a Pokemon breeder and doctor."

"Pokemon Breeder as well as a doctor?" Ash said. "That's pretty cool, you know?"

"Yeah, it is." Brock said with a chuckle. "I may have been a Gym Leader but I've never been really interested in Pokemon battling. It's much more fun for me when I take care of Pokemon. I love discovering new Pokemon. I was acting as a Gym Leader because my family has run the Pewter City Gym for generations now. It was naturally my responsibility."

Ash nodded. He'd read that the Pewter City Gym of Rock-type Pokemon had been run by one family for decades. There weren't many Gyms around who had the sort of family history Pewter City Gym had. Most successors to Gym Leader were their pupils or in cases, a totally new Gym Leader for the City. There did exist a few Gym with family history but they were sparse.

"Are you planning to enter an academy?" Ash said. "For breeding and medical?"

"I already have some education about both breeding and treating Pokemon from Pewter Pokemon Academy," Brock said. "Instead of staying at one place and studying more, I feel it will be better for my knowledge if I travel and get to know different Pokemon." He added. His eyes glinted, excitement visible in them as he continued. "Knowing how different Pokemon live in their natural habitat, that'll help me become a much better breeder than one I could be if I only got some education."

Ash nodded, hands in his pockets. "I get what you mean," he beamed. He did exactly understand what Brock was saying. It was similar in the way that a Pokemon trainer would get much more experience if he was traveling around the world catching Pokemon that staying in a university and training with Pokemon provided by the facility there.

"These guys look to be doing well," Brock patted Charmander on the head, receiving a light grunt from the Fire-type. When he did the same to Dratini, he got no response. The serpent knew who the man was and didn't bother to open his eyes. Brock chuckled at the response or the lack of it from Dratini. He stood back straight and looked at Ash. "You're probably headed for Vermillion City?"

"Yes, I am." Ash answered instantly. "I've got two badges and I'm going to get my third there." He declared confidently. Even after all he'd heard about the Gym Leader, his excitement didn't die. In fact, he was looking forward to the battle even more than before.

Brock let out a laugh at the confidence that Ash exuberated. "How about we travel together there?" he asked. He let loose one of the belts of his backpack, sliding the chain open. He pulled out a man and observed it. "We should reach Vermillion in about 2 days from here,"

Ash was impressed with the knowledge that Brock possessed. He figured it might be because Brock had a few trips to Vermillion by foot. There were highways for vehicles to pass but that was hardly the way to go for a trainer. It would be meaningless if a trainer missed the Pokemon that were found in the wild.

Ash placed a hand on his chin. "Travel with you?" He teased before letting out a cackle. "I don't mind."

"Well then," Brock beamed, taking a few steps and getting ahead of Ash. "What're we waiting for? Let's get going."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would want to rest a while here. Aren't you tired?"

Brock turned his head. "Not at all. I had a break just an hour ago so I'm ready to roll."

Ash brought his eyebrows together and nodded. "Alright,"

And just like that, the two humans and the two Pokemon outside began their trek to Vermillion City.

* * *

Another day had gone by as Ash close in on Vermillion City. The sun had set and Ash and Brock had decided to set up camp for the night.

In a long while, Ash would be eating food that wasn't packed food. Of course, he sometimes cooked but the only thing edible that he knew how to make were some sandwiches and he had to carry too much to make it. He preferred packed food instead because they were easier to carry and well, they saved his time during breaks.

But he had to admit. He was looking forward to having some stew that Brock was making. The smell had made his mouth water. Brock had begun cooking it a few minutes ago and it was almost done. If this were his mother or someone he was closer to like Leaf, he would've asked them if it was ready about 10 times by now. He kept his emotions in check around people he wasn't close to.

"Ash, dinner's ready," Brock called. He picked up two bowls and put the stew in it.

Ash tried to control himself but couldn't help but leap up in excitement. His lips formed a wide smile as he quickly walked towards Brock. "It's ready?" he repeated. His mind was taken in by the smell of the stew that he couldn't wait to gulp down.

"I hope you like it," Brock chimed as he handed Ash the bowl of his stew. "You can let your Pokemon have it as well."

Ash grabbed the bowl from Brock's hand. He was about to dig in, but what Brock suggested made him look at the former Gym Leader. "Won't it be bad for their health?"

"There's nothing in this stew that uses anything that would harm their health," Brock said, his eyes narrow as ever. He put a spoon in his own stew and got it out. "These are all ingriedients that can be had by both Pokemon and humans. It'll harm neither." He explained as he showed Ash the vegetables that he'd taken out of the stew in his spoon. "In fact, they're healthy for both."

Ash couldn't help but have a spoonful of the stew. The warm sensation of the liquid touching the inside of his mouth and then the taste of the various soft veggies going down his throat, he almost felt like he was having the stew that his mother had made to him at home.

"It's delicious!" Ash exclaimed. His face eyes twinkled as he beamed, his hands trembling to have more. "I can't let my Pokemon miss out on this!"

"Glad you like it!" brock crowed proudly. He took great effort in cooking and it made him happy when the ones eating it liked what they had. Of course, with his cooking skills, this was a reaction he'd become used to by now.

Ash kept the bowl of stew on the ground and quickly tossed his Pokeballs in the air. "You're gonna enjoy this!"

The Pokeballs opened and the Pokemon cried and surrounded around Ash. They too, could smell something that they'd like. Unable to contain himself, Dratini went to the source of the smell nearest to him.

The bowl that Ash had left on the ground didn't take much time to be cleaned of each drop of stew there was. Ash, his other Pokemon and Brock just stood there, surprised at how Dratini had devoured the stew in not too long.

Ash shook his head, a sigh leaving his lips. Why was he not surprised? He should've known that Dratini would act this way. Dratini's love for food was far greater than even his. He just sat there, a wry smile plastered on his face as Dratini rolled himself into a round shape and closed his eyes right there. Ash didn't mind Dratini eating that.

"Maybe you should've had yours first," Brock said. Brock probably would've been surprised to see that a Pokemon who'd given him such a fight would have a side like this to him.

"That's fine," Ash said. He picked up the bowl and dug into his backpack. He'd like to have it washed before he ate in it again. "Can you give them the food?" he rose and pointed towards his backpack. "There are bowls for them in there,"

Brock nodded. "Sure, no problem."

Ash strolled towards a tree. He absentmindedly poured water on the bowl and rinsed it with his hand. His mind trailed off in thought of the training that he'd planned to do the next day. His meeting with Brock could prove to be a blessing for him. None of his Pokemon knew a Ground-type move yet. Brock had at least two Ground-type Pokemon with him in Geodude and Onix. He could use some help in that department. That would definitely enhance his preparation for his Gym battle.

Already, Brock's inclusion to his traveling part had paid off. Not that he expected Brock to cook. He'd imagined brock to be a hardened battler from the behavior he'd observed in him at the Pewter City Gym. He couldn't have been more wrong.

If Brock was able to help him, it would prove to be a useful few days.

* * *

Ash smiled as he watched his Pokemon spar against one another.

Charmander fired off his Ember at Ralts, who put her hands forward and managed to stop the fire until it dissipated into a small puff of black smoke. Ash had asked Charmander to control the power at which he used his attacks while training with Ralts. When Charmander and Dratini sparred, they hardly held back. In the battlefield, they were competitors. Ash liked that. It was their competitive spirit that drove them.

A few meters away from them, Dratini's body glowed and let out a wave of electricity to counter the gust of wind that Pidgeotto fired off. Dratini had been an all out attacker up until now. He needed to learn to defend himself. If against an opponent stronger than himself, there was nothing better than to tire it out.

Shock Wave was surprisingly effective as a defensive skill. Its offensive power had helped Dratini on many occasions, but Ash thought that the use of it as a defensive move could be more useful. If Dratini was able to form a powerful ring around it made of electricity, he could fend off ranged attacks. At least to an extent.

This had been the kind of training Ash had been doing with his Pokemon for a while. He'd tried to strengthen the moves they already possessed, while also thinking of some maneuvers to add to them. He'd held off teaching them new moves until then. He thought it would help focus if they concentrated on not too many things at a time. He figured it was about time he expanded the movesets of his Pokemon.

"Brock," Ash said. He turned to look at his temporary traveling companion who was sat next to him. "I've got a favor to ask of you,"

Brock closed the book he'd been reading after placing his bookmark on the page. "What is it?" he glanced at the trainer.

"Could you perhaps teach my Pokemon a Ground-type move?" Ash said. He didn't like to ask too many favors of people. This was necessary though. He needed a Ground-type move.

Brock glanced at the Pokemon that trained, eyes narrowing. He then turned back to Ash. "I don't think any of my Pokemon know Ground-type moves that your Pokemon could learn," he said. "I am sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to help you with that,"

Ash sighed. "Is that so?" he let his body fall on the ground, palms under his head. He'd been hopeful that he could get at least one of his Pokemon to learn a Ground-type move.

He would teach one to his Pokemon himself if he could. But the moves that would be strong and those his Pokemon could learn weren't ones he believed he himself could teach them. He would need either the help of someone having their Pokemon teach the move, or someone who'd had experience teaching them.

There were video clips in chips called TM which demonstrated how a Pokemon could learn a certain move. But he had none. Even if he did, it took a fair amount of time in order to learn a move from video demonstration itself, unless the Pokemon had previous practice in using a similar move to it.

"But I do have something that might help you," Ash had almost missed it as he was in his own thought.

Brock's words made him look at him with an eyebrow curled up. "What could that be?"

"Here," Brock said as he offered Ash a small book. The cover of the book had Onix, Rhydon and a few other Rock-type Pokemon on it. "It's an old book which has the basics of some Rock and Ground-type moves,"

Ash observed that the book was quite roughed up and used. The pages were crumbled as he opened it. He rose up and flowed the pages one after the other. They had move demonstrations with pictures of certain Rock-type and Ground-type Pokemon using the said moves. Rollout, Rock Throw, Mud Slap, Rock Polish. The next move struck Ash's attention.

"Dig," Ash repeated the name of the move. "Charmander can learn it," He glanced up at Brock. The former Rock-type Gym Leader might be helpful. He still wasn't confident if he'd be able to teach Charmander the move with just this illustration.

Anyway, it would take some time, he thought.

"Charmander certainly can learn Dig," Brock confirmed.

"How long do you think it'll take?"

Brock placed a hand on his chin. "Does your Charmander know any Groung-type moves? Any at all? Or maybe some Rock-type moves?"

Ash shook his head. "No. None of my Pokemon know any Ground-type moves,"

Brock pursed his lips. "Then, it could well take a while. It's always difficult for a Pokemon to grasp and use the move of a new type. It could've been easier if we had a Pokemon who could show Charmander how to use Dig."

Ash sighed. He had gotten his hopes up after he received the book from Brock. He should've known better. It wasn't always easy to teach a move to a Pokemon. "We'll just have to figure something out then,"

Ash watched his Pokemon train some more while Brock continued reading the book that he'd been reading. It was about the habits and traits of some Pokemon, Brock had told him. It was important as a breeder to know at what time did a Pokemon act a certain way. That would help him realize what the condition of the Pokemon was in that situation.

Ash sat up and ran a hand through his hair. His Pokemon had trained enough for the time. They'd done pretty well. It was time to get going. He flowed his hand beside him. He last remembered keeping his hat there. He'd removed it and kept it on the ground just a few minutes ago. He glanced over at Brock to just check if he'd taken it. He didn't think he would and he hadn't. Where could it have gone.

He stood up and dusted his jeans off. "Have you seen my hat, Brock?"

That got the attention of the breeder. "Your hat?" he looked up and shook his head. "No, I haven't,"

"It was here just a minute ago," he mumbled. He creased his forehead as he tried to remember if he'd kept it somewhere else.

No. He was sure it was beside him.

Right then, he heard a snort. It came from above him. As he looked up at the tree, he saw where his hat had gone. There was a roundish Pokemon covered in whitish fur, brown arms and triangular ears. And in between those triangular ears was Ash's favorite hat.

"When did it?" Ash mused. But the Mankey snorting again stopped him from thinking anymore.

The Pig Monkey Pokemon appeared to be quite jolly as it fixed the hat on top of its head. It squealed and showed its arms to Ash before hanging itself on a branch with its tail. It was clear that it attempted to mock Ash.

This wasn't the first time Ash had seen a Mankey in the wild but he hadn't bothered with them yet. Until now, neither had they. However, this one seemed different. Ash couldn't quite put a finger on it. For one thing, it was larger in size than an average Mankey. Quite a bit so, Ash noted.

"A Fighting-type is just what we need," Ash grinned. "Come on here guys!" He called as he turned over to his training Pokemon.

The Pokemon all heard their trainer and halted their moves. They rushed over to their trainer's side without any delays.

"Pidgeotto, you're up!" Ash shouted excitedly. He'd missed a Pokemon capture not too long ago. He wouldn't want to make that a habit.

The Mankey appeared to have realized the intention of the ones that he faced. He jumped up higher onto the trees flinging itself from one branch to another, until it was clearly on one of the top branches of the tree.

"Bring it down here, Gust!" Ash commanded.

The Mankey still mocked Ash by making faces, this time showing his tongue even as it hung atop the tree. The gust of wind that Pidgeotto created and set toward it made it cling to the tree. The tree shook viciously with the power of the Flying-type move at such a range. Several leaves fell off followed by a pack of Spearows who didn't bother to stay and fight.

"Again!"

Gust had a similar effect to the tree. The Mankey however jumped down from it this time. It landed on one of its knees and grimaced. It had hurt itself from the fall. That wasn't surprising. It was at the top of a 10 meter tree. It growled in anger, swinging its brownish fist around.

"Great!" Ash cheered. That was exactly what he wanted. The Mankey threw a few punches towards them. "It won't run away. Now use Wing Attack, Pidgeotto!"

Pidgeotto expanded her wings outwards and gathered momentum. She turned around and descended, aiming for the Mankey with her Wings. The Mankey bounced on either of its legs, and opened its side of the hand. As Pidgeotto approached it, it tried to strike her with the side of the hand but the Flying-type swung out of the way. She then struck the Mankey with Wing Attack.

"That was Karate Chop," Ash said. He watched the Mankey recover, flailing around. It didn't seem to like being hit. Ash chuckled. "Wing Attack again!"

Pidgeotto charged Mankey with her wings widened once more. This time, the Mankey too rushed towards its opponent. It crossed its arms on the run and they began to glow a hue of silver.

Ash recognized that move. "Cross Chop!" he exclaimed. That was a move he hadn't expected. Pidgeotto would take severe damage if it was hit with a move as powerful as Cross Chop. But he realized it was too late to dodge. He had to hope that Pidgeotto's Wing Attack minimized the damage.

The attacks of the two Pokemon met. Pidgeotto cried in pain and so did Mankey. Unlike last time, this time the Mankey had overpowered Pidgeotto with its attack. Even though the Mankey went back tumbling and the hat on its head fell off, it made sure that Pidgeotto was sent crashing into the tree behind her.

Ash grimaced at the sight of Pidgeotto's body crashing into the tree. This Mankey was quite something. He hadn't expected it to know a move as strong as Cross Chop. He smirked. This Mankey would be quite an addition to his team.

"Hang in there, Pidgeotto," Ash encouraged. Pidgeotto had recovered from the attack, although many cuts were visible from the attack. The power of the Cross Chop in itself would be quite overwhelming; the fact that she hit the tree afterwards worsened the damage. "Quick Attack!"

Pidgeotto flew forward, speed so fast that it only left some traces of her body. Evidently, Mankey was flustered as its wide eyes searched for its foe that was once to its left then to its right. Eventually, Pidgeotto tackled the Mankey hard.

"Sand Attack!" Ash chinned up. The Mankey was strong but it didn't know how to use that power. Its attacks were too straightforward. Pidgeotto flapped her wings and dug her talons in the ground. The dug up dirt and grass were sent into Mankey's face. The wild Pig Monkey Pokemon shielded its face with its arms but couldn't prevent the dirt from entering its eyes.

Mankey swung its fists around violently. Its eyes still remained half closed due to the Sand Attack. It didn't appear as if had been able to shake the effects of the move off even as it shook its entire body furiously.

"Let's finish this with Wing Attack!"

Pidgeotto obliged. She expanded her wings and struck the flailing monkey with her wings. The power of the attack sent Mankey flying as it finally landed harshly on the ground. Blood peered out of its knees as it attempted to get up, only to fall back on the ground again.

Ash grinned. He ran towards the Mankey, an empty Pokeball in hand. "You're mine!" he shouted. The Pokeball that he threw sucked the wild Mankey into it and landed on the surface.

Ash and his Pokemon patiently watched the Pokeball shake once, twice and then thrice. Then, it came to a stop. Ash waited for a few more seconds before he moved. There was no doubt. He'd caught the Pokemon.

Ash's smile brightened as he scurried towards the Pokeball. He grabbed the ball and stared at it. It had been a while since he'd caught a Pokemon. And made a new friend. This one was going to be a great addition, Ash just knew about it.

Ralts, like the adorable Pokemon she was, worried more about her trainer's hat than the capture. She picked up the hat that had been forgotten by her trainer and walked back to him. Gently, she squealed and offered him the hat.

Ash's lips parted slightly as he took his hat from Ralts. "Thanks, Ralts!" he beamed.

"That was a good catch," Brock said.

Ash turned around to face the tanned man. "Thanks, Brock," That was the first time he'd _caught_ a Pokemon in the presence of a human other than him. He stared at the Pokeball. "I should heal Mankey first,"

The health of his Pokemon had always remained Ash's primary concern. Mankey didn't appear seriously injured but he still thought it best to heal it right then instead of waiting for it to heal the small injuries on its own.

Ash strode towards where he'd been sat before and grabbed a potion from his backpack. He then tapped on the Pokeball and Mankey materialized. It sat on the ground in front of him with wound marks throughout its body. Ash could hear the Pokemon breathe as he crept closer to him. He stroked its head gently.

"This'll sting a bit," Ash mumbled into Mankey's ear.

He sprayed the potion on the wounds on its face first. The Fighting-type growled and weakly attempted to shove the potion aside with its fists. Ash waited a minute and let the feel of the potion sink in to Mankey. As he'd thought, it calmed down once the potion began to take its effect. He sprayed the potion around some other parts of the body where the wounds were visible, spraying it on the wounds that were open at first before moving on to the minor injuries.

Mankey closed its eyes, ignoring the bits of burning that it felt when the potion came in contact with its flesh. The potion did take a while to take full effect but it eased the pain pretty quickly. That was clear from how Mankey had let his body relax on the ground.

"You'll be all better soon," Ash assured. It opened one of its eyes for a second but shut it close the very next when it saw Ash smiling at it. Ash let out a chuckle at the reaction he received. "You don't need to be shy. We're all friends."

Mankey didn't open its eyes this time. Ash didn't mind that. He would have plenty of time to talk to it once it had recovered.

* * *

Ash stretched his arms and basked in the sunlight. Another day had gone by and they had gotten ever so close to Vermilion City.

And it was time to get some training done. He had moves that needed to be taught to his Pokemon. One thing that Ash looked forward to was to have a nice introduction with his Mankey. He'd let Mankey out to have dinner the other night but it was tired. So he hadn't forced it on it and let it rest inside its Pokeballs as soon as it finished its meal.

Even though his other Pokemon had eaten their breakfast, he'd held on from giving Mankey some. He'd initially planned on letting Mankey out along with his other Pokemon in the morning. But some words from Brock made him do otherwise. The aspiring Pokemon breeder had suggested that he let Mankey rest.

Ash took a deep breath before he enlarged the Pokeball and tossed up in the air. The ball opened and his newest capture stood in front of him. The monkey growled its arrival, jabbing through the air. Its tail swiped behind it as it fixed its eyes on Ash.

Ash figured that it would have been a new experience for Mankey to wake up in a Pokeball. It probably didn't notice it much because it was injured before, but now that it was all better, it would definitely be having a different experience. It would be a natural reaction. Most Pokemon caught in the wild, especially those who didn't have previous experience being with humans would feel anxious.

"Hey there, Mankey." Ash greeted his newest Pokemon. He bent down and carefully brought his hand closer to the Pokemon.

It didn't show any visible signs of resisting. It just stared right into Ash's eyes. Ash flashed a smile as it let him touch his white fur. He stroked the Pokemon's head before scratching its ear. Mankey let out a light growl. It seemed to like it.

Then, it happened.

What Ash least expected happened. Mankey leapt up, snatching Ash's hat from the top of his head. It jumped and squealed in joy for a moment. And then, it skipped off towards a nearby tree. In no time, it was drifting on one of its branches on its tail. It seemed to quite like Ash's cap as it put it on and then cheered with hands outstretched.

Ash sighed. It wouldn't be easy to tame this one. Even after it had been captured, it still didn't stop with its pranks.

Dratini watched as the Mankey stole Ash's hat and ran off. He hissed dangerously and its long tail slammed on the surface, puffing up some dust. It was about to swish towards the Mankey but was interrupted by Charmander. The Fire-type howled at it. That seemed to work. Dratini managed to calm itself, settling in his place and focusing on his training instead.

Ralts and Pidgeotto meanwhile never let the incident distract them from them.

Brock had observed the drama unfold between the two and he appeared to have just the solution. "Try giving it this," he suggested as he put forward a bar in his hand. "It's specially made to soothe Fighting-types."

"A Pokemon food bar?" Ash raised an eyebrow but took the bar. He observed it for a moment and began to walk in the direction where Mankey had gone. "It wouldn't hurt to try," he said. "Hey Mankey, come on here, I'll give you this!"

At first, Mankey simply ignored the call and continued to let out noises while its swung like a pendulum on the tree branch. There was this odd smell on the bar though. Ash wasn't affected by it but he discerned that it was what would appeal to the fighting types. He was right.

Mankey perked up its nose and once it'd made out that the smell came from the bar that Ash held, it jumped right down. It hesitantly waited for a moment. Carefully, it stepped forward one step at a time. Ash held a laugh at the antics of this Pokemon. He could make out that Mankey was trying to sneakily snatch the bar from his hand. All while Ash had eyes on it.

"You can have it," Ash said with a smile. When a questioning look from Mankey followed, he let his hand near it and assured. "Really."

Mankey took the bar and smelled it. Before long, it began to nibble on it and then ate it all in one go. It let out a yawn afterward as its body relaxed and it sat on the ground. Just as Brock said, it appeared to have calmed down. He'd have to ask Brock what exactly it was. It might prove quite useful to him if Mankey continued this behavior.

"I'll have this," Ash took off the hat from Mankey's head and to his pleasant surprise, it didn't retaliate. "You wanna have some food?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "We're gonna do some training now so you should eat now,"

Mankey waited for a moment and let out a lazy nod.

Ash smiled and nodded back. He got some of the normal Pokemon food that he fed his other Pokemon and placed the bowl in front of Mankey. It wasn't as ill-mannered when it came to eating as Dratini but it still ate wildly. It swiped the food with both his hands, swinging one piece from each hand inside at once. It seemed like Dratini might get along well with Mankey. They certainly had a few similarities.

It only took a few short minutes for Mankey to devour the food that lay before it. Ash kept all the bowls in food back in his backpack and returned to where Mankey sat.

"It's time to train, Mankey," Ash told his newest friend.

Surprisingly, Mankey nodded. It rose up and punched the air. It seemed rather _excited_. Ash would be lying if he said that he hadn't expected Mankey to do something silly again. He'd worried that it might waste a lot of his time getting Mankey to even stay still. That was not the case though. Mankey looked ready.

Ash pursed his lips as he grabbed his Pokedex from his pocket. "Let's first get to know what your moves are,"

The Pokedex that Ash pointed at Mankey began to speak. "Mankey the Pig Monkey Pokemon….

This Mankey is Male. Its ability is Vital Spirit. Its moves are Scratch, Low Kick, Karate Chop, Fury Swipes and Cross Chop."

"You've got some pretty good moves," Ash said as he pressed some more buttons on the Pokedex. Mankey shoved its chest up with pride, arms folded. "We'll need to add some variety to your moveset though," At that, Mankey's posture changed. It clearly looked interested. "Like a Dark-type move or a Ghost-type move," Ash absentmindedly murmured.

The amount of moves that Mankey could learn was quite impressive. There were a few strong Dark and Ghost-type moves to choose from. Ash had no idea how to teach most of those. That wasn't a problem since they had plenty of time.

His immediate concern was the Vermilion City Gym. He had to ready his Charmander with Dig before that. Dratini couldn't learn any impressive Ground-type moves. Pidgeotto would be at a huge disadvantage going against an Electric-type Gym so using her was out of the question. Ralts was still too inexperienced and needed some more battle experience under her belt. She'd proven to be a strong fighter but it would be a risk to go in with her.

The Vermilion Gym battle would most likely be a two-on-two match from his knowledge. Charmander would be absolutely vital. For that, he needed to be taught Dig. Mankey wouldn't be too bad of a choice either.

Ash's scratched his cheek as he remembered that Dig was one of the moves that Mankey could learn as well. If he had two Pokemon with the move in the Gym battle, it would be definitely easier.

He walked up to his training Pokemon. They were giving it everything they had. Like they always did. "Guys, that's enough for now," he called as he approached them.

The Pokemon stopped their attacks and turned towards their trainer. Pants could be heard from them; they'd been training for about an hour non-stop so it was hardly surprising. They rested their bodies on the ground and breathed in.

The hard work that his Pokemon put in every session of training made Ash proud. "Have a rest," He said as he recalled Ralts and Pidgeotto back in their balls. He let Charmander and Dratini stay outside.

Once he'd kept the two Pokeballs inside, Ash turned to his Charmander and Dratini. "We're going to train some more," he informed them. Dratini and Charmander took deep breaths but didn't argue. "Charmander, you have to learn Dig before the battle," The Fire-type listened intently and nodded silently. "Dratini, your attacks are strong but you can become an easy target against stronger opponents if your attacks miss,"

The serpent hissed at that. He looked away into the distance once Ash had finished. Ash's bluntness was harsh, he realized that. But there was no other way to put it. Dratini was strong but he hadn't been challenged yet. Ash was sure that there would come a time soon when his Pokemon would come up against those that'll pose more of a threat. And then, the sheer power of Dratini's attacks won't always be enough to win a battle.

"You'll be working on a move called Agility," Ash said.

He'd looked up some moves on his Pokedex and Agility was the one that he'd come up with to teach Dratini. Dratini was no slouch when it came to speed. But it still was a Pokemon that could do with that extra bit of speed when against faster or stronger opponents.

Dratini turned back to look at his trainer after he'd mentioned the move. Ash gave it a lopsided smile. There was only one way that he knew of that a Pokemon could learn that move. It would take some time, again, as there was no one in his party that knew how to use the move, nor anyone who had the experience of teaching it.

"Get started that Dratini," Ash said. "You're going to do laps around the field."

Dratini didn't seem happy at that as he let out a growl. Ash simply frowned at his Pokemon. There was no way the Dragon was slacking off; not under his watch. Dratini stared right back at Ash, not one to give in as he was. However, he hung his head before slowly crawling away to the corner. Not long after, it starter gushing. Ash couldn't help but chuckle. Under that thick skin of his, Dratini was quite the hard worker.

He turned back to the two other Pokemon. "So you two, you're going to have to work even harder." The Pokemon nodded instantly. "To start off, you're first going to have to make a hole in the ground. To do that," he paused and looked into the book that he'd borrowed from Brock. "You've gotta start by jumping up, then taking that momentum down as you start to make the hole."

Of course, his Pokemon's faces shrunk. He sighed. He needed to explain it a bit more.

"Look," he started. He kept the book safely in his pocket before he jumped and landed back on the ground. This was the first time he'd tried to teach a move to his Pokemon by trying it out himself. "You jump like this," he said as he jumped once again, "and then dig out the ground like this!" He lowered his hands and landed on all fours.

That might have not gone exactly like he wanted it to. Now he understood just how much effort it took to learn a new move. He'd hoped that his Pokemon got some sort of idea after his explanation.

The groans that came from Mankey and Charmander weren't ones that he wanted. They appeared even more confused after the little show Ash had put up.

Ash pursed his lips. "Okay listen, just jump up and try to scratch the ground with everything you've got, okay?"

Mankey and Charmanded nodded this time.

"Do it!"

The duo of Pokemon jumped in the air and landed back on the ground. Then, they scratched the ground afterwards. Although they did manage to make a bit of a hole, that wasn't what was needed.

"Try again!" Ash commanded. They did, and it yielded the same result. "Turn your body when you're in the air! Use the force of falling to strengthen your dig!"

Ash scratched his head at that. They'd jumped up and got their momentum going but they never used that momentum. They might as well have not jumped up and instead started scratching the surface from the beginning if they were going to do it the way they had so far.

"Ash," The trainer from Pallet Town turned around to find Brock walking towards him. "I think my Pokemon may be able to help you a little bit with that,"

Ash frowned. Why didn't he say so sooner? "That'd be a huge help if they can. I'm going nowhere here,"

He'd taught his Pokemon a few move like Dragon Rage to Charmander and Dratini. But that was a move which came naturally to the two of them. Pidgeotto had gotten down the basic concept of Steel Wing. That too, however, was a move that didn't require doing too much different than a Wing Attack. It was a form of Wing Attack that made the wings strong as steel. Furthermore, he'd had Charmander help Pidgeotto with his Metal Claw at the time.

Dig wasn't a move that either Mankey or Charmander would learn on their own. It would be an extremely rare case to find one of either species use the move in the wild. If they lived somewhere where using the move Dig or digging in general was essential, that was when they might learn the move in the wild.

"I need your help, Geodude!" Brock called as he tossed up a Pokeball. The rocky Pokemon with a face for its body thudded on the ground. It slammed its fists on the ground and roared before it turned to look at its trainer.

"While my Geodude cannot use the move Dig," Brock began. "It can make its way underground. It's a Ground-type so it comes naturally to it."

Ash raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "If it can dig, can't it use the move Dig?"

"It's not the same, Ash," Brock shook his head. "Almost all Ground-type Pokemon can go underground. That doesn't mean they can attack with Dig. To use Dig, the Pokemon must not only go underground, but it also has to come out with enough power to do some damage to its opponent. It's no use if the Pokemon just digs and come out of the ground with no real power behind it."

"I see," Ash stared at the ground in thought.

That made sense. He'd never thought about it. But if Dig was such a simple move, all Ground-types would be using it from infancy. And most Rock-types wouldn't have a problem doing it either. He understood now that it was a bit more complex than that.

"Now Geodude," Brock said with his finger pointed towards the ground. "Make a hole there. Do it slowly so they can see,"

The mentioned Pokemon swung its arms wide and dug its fists into the ground. It then began to shovel the soil underneath as it burrowed under the surface. It did it slowly but merely in a few seconds, it had formed a hole a few meters deep.

Ash as well as his Pokemon leaned over and observed the action carefully. That was how it had to be done.

"You see guys?" Ash glanced at both the Pokemon that stood around him. As he received the nod, he continued. "Now you guys try doing that."

The two jumped up and again landed on the ground before they started to shovel with their claws and fists. The result was a deeper pit that before but that wasn't enough.

Brock put a hand under his chin as he stepped forward with his Geodude in tow. "That's not quite right." He said as he took the move book from Ash's hand and looked into it. "After you jump, you should turn around so that your hands are on the ground before your feet." He illustrated with his own hands as he bent over. "You have to make sure that you take the momentum of your jump with you. That will help you dig deeper."

The Pokemon listened carefully and growled in unison at the end. They both glanced at one another and nodded to themselves before they gave the move another try. They leapt up in the air again, and this time, turned their bodies around in a 180 degrees motion. Now, their arms were closer to the ground while their tails and legs farthest to it. And unlike previous occasions, this time they'd landed on their hands and they'd started digging underneath much before their legs reached the surface.

Evidently, the results were better. It wasn't nearly as deep as Geodude had managed but they had been able to claw their way into about a meter long hole.

A few hours went by as the two continued they practice to learn the move Dig. They'd made some steady progress in that time. They were able to dig a good few meter underneath. Although it did take some time for them to do that. In a battle, it would have to be way quicker. Their opponents wouldn't give them time to leisurely shovel underground.

Ash smiled slightly. He'd been worried that it could take a while for them to get this down. Their progress was faster than he'd expected. They wouldn't perfect it by the time they reached Vermilion City but he reckoned it wouldn't take a long time for them to perfect it if they continued at the pace at which they'd done so far.

* * *

He'd finally reached it. It had taken him some time to make his way from Cerulean City to Vermilion City and there were quite a few stops he had to take in the way, but he was finally there. The City where he wanted to win his third Gym badge.

The entrance of Vermilion City wasn't as flashy as he'd expected it to be. The gate appeared to be quite old. It didn't seem like it had been renovated in years. He saw modern houses nearby a line of skyscrapers in the distance. This was his first time in Vermilion in a long time. And it was his time entering it from this gate. He hazily remembered the last time he was here. He'd come in a car with his mom then, and he was sure this wasn't the same entrance he'd entered the city through that time.

"We're finally here," Brock said. He smiled wearily as he glanced around the streets and the shops that he saw around him.

Brock certainly looked happy to be here. Ash had to wonder what Brock would do in the city because of the excitement shown by the tanned man. This was the first time Ash had seen the man so relaxed. He couldn't say he knew him too well. They'd only traveled together for 4 days after all.

"Where are you headed first, Ash?" Brock stopped his trail and turned to look at his traveling companion. "The Pokemon Center?"

Ash nodded plainly. "Yeah, I want to get my Pokemon checked up,"

"You definitely should," Brock said as a smile covered his features. "They've worked quite hard over the past few days. I didn't expect you to be such a slave driver."

Ash smiled wryly at that. "Do you really think so?"

He had worked his Pokemon to exhaustion every day since they'd started traveling together. None more so than Mankey and Charmander. Not to say that the other three slacked off. Just that these two had much more to do than the others did at the time.

"It's fine as long as they're being properly taken care of," Brock said. "And you've worked just as hard as your Pokemon, I've seen that."

Ash's lips parted and his forehead creased. "Thanks?"

Brock shook his head bemusedly. "Well then, Ash." he stepped forward and offered his hand. "I've got somewhere else to go. So this'll be goodbye."

Ash took the offered hand and grasped it tightly. "I guess it will be, for now."

The duo parted there and Ash went to the Pokemon Center. It took him a while to make it there. It was quite a big city and it wouldn't have been easy to locate the Pokemon Center. He made a note inside his mind to thank Bill again whenever he saw him next for the Xtransceiver. Its features had proved to be useful in more ways than one to him.

* * *

After another three days of training in Vermilion City, Ash stood in front of the Gym. He stared at the huge, round building which had several thunderbolt-like yellow, spiky arrows on its top. It appeared quite newly built. Or it had been maintained well throughout the years.

He took a deep breath. This was it. All the hard work that he and his Pokemon had done would be tested at this very place. He felt nervous. This wasn't the same feeling that enshrouded him in his previous two Gym battles. He definitely felt different about this Gym.

The many trainers who'd brought their injured Pokemon to the Pokemon Center after their Gym battle hadn't gone unnoticed with Ash. It only indicated that the Gym Leader wasn't a pushover. Some of the Pokemon that he'd found injured in the Pokemon Center after their battles weren't just the Pokemon of a starting trainer. There were a few evolved Pokemon amongst them. They didn't exactly seem weak to him either.

He pushed those thoughts aside for the moment.

Finally, Ash strode forward and rang the bell that was beside the massive double door. He heard the sound of the bell even outside, that's how loud the sound of crackling lightning was when he'd rung it.

The double doors opened soon and his set sight was a young man. "You here for a Pokemon battle?" The man grinned. He had short, black hair and wore a jacket without any shirt inside. His tone didn't contain the least bit of politeness.

Ash's eyes narrowed. "If you're not the Gym Leader, then not with you," he said loudly. "I'm here for an official Gym battle with the Vermilion City Gym Leader."

"Are you now?!" The man said cockily. He stepped forward and bent forward. "How many badges do you have?"

"I've got two badges," Ash said. "I think that qualifies me for challenging the Vermilion Gym."

"The Gym Leader doe-"

"Are you a challenger, kid?"

Ash's eyes widened as he unconsciously took a step back at the man who had cut the punk off. The man who sported an unbuttoned military green shirt and dark green pants towered over Ash. His short, spiky blonde hair only made him seem even more intimidating as he shoved the punk who'd been talking to Ash aside. The man had a few light scars on his slightly tanned chest. He probably had been in a few tough situations in the past.

Ash was lost for words at that moment until the muscular man spoke again.

"Well," he said, his voice getting louder as he finished. "Are you?!"

Ash snapped out of his daze and stood back straight. "Yes, I am! I would like to challenge the Vermilion Gym Leader to a Gym battle!"

"I am the Vermilion City Gym Leader!" The man declared. "Follow me, kid!"

Even though Ash had tried to put on a brave face, it was hard not to be intimidated by the figure that this man was. He gulped as the man turned around and gestured for him to follow. Ash noticed that a few more lights were turned on by just a raise of the hand of the man.

This was him. This had to be Lt. Surge – the Lightning war veteran that had taken Vermilion City for his own a few years back. It was said that he had great control over the harbor in Vermilion City. That was where his reputation came from.

As Ash followed the man inside the Gym and into the battlefield, he'd already begun to have doubts. Was he strong enough? Had his training been enough? Just how powerful was the reputed Lt. Surge?

He couldn't help but fear for the worst. He wasn't just big and strong. The way in which he took his massive strides and turned around in his battle position to stare at Ash wasn't what he'd expected. The huge grin on his face brimmed with confidence. Before the Pokemon battle had even begun, Ash had already been pushed into a corner.

By the time Ash had gotten back to his senses, the referee – a fair skinned, brown-haired woman had already taken her place near the middle of the field towards Ash's right. He finally noticed the gathering of people that had surrounded the floor above the battlefield.

There were tens of young men and women present who'd appeared. Some played with their earring, some with their Pokeballs while some with their phone. They'd come to watch the match but it seemed as if they already knew the outcome.

Ash heard murmurs flying around. Of what he could make of them, they mostly talked about how a trainer with two badges shouldn't be challenging this gym while some others talked about how many such trainers with the same or even more badges had found their Pokemon in the Pokemon Center this week already.

Ash pushed all those thoughts to the side as he fixed his gaze on Lt. Surge.

"This is an official Gym match between Lt. Surge the Vermilion City Gym Leader, and." The woman acting as the referee turned to Ash.

"Ash Ketchum." The trainer from Pallet Town informed.

"And Ash Ketchum," She said. "It will be a two-on-two battle. Only the challenger can substitute Pokemon." She raised her hands and exclaimed. "Begin!"

Ash and Lt. Surge both hurled their Pokeballs up in the air. Ash's Mankey came out in a flash of red light and roared wildly. He sent a few shadow punches as he fixed his gaze on his opponent. It was a Pokemon that had three round bodies attached into one. The three round metals were joined by large screws. The grey-colored Pokemon had what seemed like two horseshoe magnets attached to each of the round bodies. The Pokemon floated inches above the ground, a few electric sparks coursing throughout its body.

Ash knew the Pokemon. "A Magneton."

"Kid, I'll let you have the first move!" Lt. Surge shouted with his hands on his hips. "Give me a good battle!"

The evolution of Magnemite whizzed electricity as it waited for its trainer to give it a command. Ash studied it. Magneton was a dual Electric and Steel-type Pokemon and that meant that Mankey had a type advantage. Ash knew that type advantage alone wouldn't be enough to win the battle. He'd done his training though. It was time to see if it reaped rewards.

"Mankey, try a Karate Chop," Ash said. He wanted to test the Magneton's defensive powers and speed before making a major move. They were supposed to be slower Pokemon but he wouldn't take a chance.

Mankey ran forward with his fist slightly turned. Ash watched his newest capture slam his fists on the Magneton but there was still no command from Lt. Surge. The man just grinned even though his Magneton let out a few fizzes when it was struck by the Karate Chop multiple times.

At that moment, Ash got a hint of what Lt. Surge could be up to. "Mankey, stop attacking and come back here!" Ash shouted urgently.

And right then, Lt. Surge countered. "Fry it with Thunderbolt!"

Magneton's metallic body sparked with electricity and the magnets on each of its heads let out a yellow bolt of electricity. Mankey attempted to jump back after stopping its barrage of chops. It didn't manage to. Ash grimaced as the bolts joined together and struck his Mankey. The Pokemon grunted in pain. He managed to shake off the attack and jump backwards though.

That was reckless. Ash realized it.

"Charge Beam!" Surge yelled. There was a calmness about him even when he did that. That was something a veteran of many battles could have.

"It's time to use Dig!" Ash called.

Electric energy formed in Magneton's main head. The light beam of lightning hit nothing but thin air as Mankey leapt up and then dug up in a hole. Just like he'd practiced so many times over the last few days.

Ash bit his lower lip as he waited in anticipation. He'd done nothing with Charmander and Mankey in the last week but practice Dig. Only after the move had been perfected had he decided to challenge the Vermilion Gym. But this was a real battle. He was nervous.

Lt. Surge's grin didn't fade. He observed the field with his hard eyes. "Stay on your guard, Magneton."

The surface of the battlefield shook as Mankey finally emerged underneath Magneton. The Electric and Steel-type Pokemon however, just found enough time to get out of the way. Mankey hit nothing but thin air as he swung his fists.

"Magnet Bomb!" Surge ordered.

"Watch out, Mankey!" Ash alerted.

He gritted his teeth at the sight of Mankey being struck with the magnets that Magneton had formed and sent towards it. Once again, Ash had fallen in Surge's trap. He lured his opponent's Pokemon in closer and used magneton's defenses to amazing effect. Then right after the opponent's attacks, Surge made his Pokemon attack. It was a tactic that wouldn't work unless Surge had absolute confidence that his Pokemon would be able to take the attack and then make a move right afterwards.

"Zap Cannon!"

"Dodge it!" Ash yelled.

Mankey was still shaken by the effects of the Magnet Bomb. It got back on its feet as Magneton formed an orb of yellow electricity. He ran to his right, then back to his left. Magneton fired the orb which went straight ahead. The speed of the attack wasn't nearly as much as the ones it had used prior. And the added evasion that Mankey got with the help of his running made sure that he was able to evade it.

Fairly comfortably too.

That was something that Ash had told him to do. He'd figured that Mankey's attacks were too straightforward at the time. He needed to be as inventive as possible to get a way in which he could avoid enemy attacks or minimize the damage. This was the one that he'd come up with for the time being.

Ash thought about his next move for a second before he ordered it. "Cross Chop!"

Mankey rushed forward as his fists became enshrouded in a white light. He crossed his fists on the way before he leapt up in the air when he was close enough to the Magneton.

"Stop it with Thunderbolt, Magneton!" Surge countered at the last moment.

Magneton's body sparkled again and it fired the Thunderbolt at the incoming Mankey. Mankey was able to keep the Thunderbolt out with his Cross Chop. He even began to push it. Howevever, it had started to feel the effects of the Electric-move after a few seconds. The Thunderbolt faded and so did Mankey's Cross Chop. The Pig Monkey Pokemon got a safe distance away from his opponent.

"Dig!" Ash yelled as soon as Mankey's previous attack had ended. Like before Mankey dug his way underground after a leap.

Surge smirked. "Get a Zap Cannon ready! We're gonna hit em this time!"

Magneton charged up the orb of Zap Cannon while Mankey still lay underground. The ground beneath Magneton shook and Mankey emerged from underneath it. As it had previously done, Magneton attempted to sway out of the way just enough to evade the attack. However, Mankey didn't fall for it this time. He managed to strike Magneton with one of his fists and the Pokemon let out a steely grunt.

What Mankey didn't realize was that Magneton had a Zap Cannon that it let loose at Mankey. The distance was too close; time too less. The Zap Cannon struck Mankey's gut as he slammed on the ground with a thud. And then the electricity exploded leaving nothing but smoke covering the small area where the explosion had taken place.

Ash jerked his head back in disappointment when the smoke cleared. "You did your best." He sighed as he raised his Pokeball and Mankey disappeared from the battlefield in a flash of red light.

"Mankey is unable to battle!" The referee declared with a raise of her towards Lt. Surge. "Magneton is the winner!"

Cheers filled the Gym at the victory of Lt. Surge. They were either huge fans of the Gym Leader or hated him. He figured that it was probably the former because they had no reason to hate someone they didn't know, did they?

Ash hurled his next Pokemon up in the air. "It's all up to you now, Charmander!"

Charmander landed on the field and bared his fangs straightaway as he had a look at his opponent. He swung his fiery tail to the side. Ash chuckled at the enthusiasm Charmander showed. The Fire-type looked forward to a challenge.

And this Gym battle was certainly one.

"And what do we have here?" Lt. Surge let out a small laugh. "A little baby Charmander!"

Ash gritted his teeth as he heard the laughs of the various spectators. He took a deep breath to calm himself. This was a Gym battle and Surge was simply trying to egg him on. He didn't need to respond to that.

Charmander didn't look pleased either. He didn't usually get angry but this time he was. He growled at Lt. Surge as he bared his fangs dangerously, his claws pointing towards his foe.

Ash stared at the Magneton. Mankey might not have been able to defeat the Pokemon but he had left it with a lot of damage. There were some marks on its shining metallic body. Ash couldn't make out if it was tired but he discerned he should've been. Mankey had been able to land a few super-effective blows. That would've certainly hurt.

"Ember!" Ash commanded.

Charmander was snapped out of its rage by the order he received. He opened his mouth and summoned flames from inside its belly. The Ember gushed through the wind and struck its target. The Magneton swung its body around in the pain that it felt. The burn marks that the attack left were proof of the success of the move.

"Show it your Thunderbolt!" Surge shouted.

Ash smirked. "Now Dig!"

Like he'd practiced so many times, Charmander jumped up in the air and then plowed its way under the battlefield. The Thunderbolt obviously missed its mark. Magneton and Surge both looked at the ground for signs of Charmander and they found it.

"There! Zap Cannon now!" Surge pointed his finger at the ground that had started to shake.

Magneton prepared for its attack. Charmander was fast though. He'd already come out to the surface and slammed itself into Magneton. The force of the move that he'd used added with his warm body made Magneton let out a shriek. The Magnet Pokemon was sent searing and it crashed on the ground.

Lt. Surge's Pokemon didn't move. But his grin never disappeared. "Come back, Magneton!" He said as he recalled his Pokemon and the referee raised her hand towards Ash this time.

"Magneton is unable to battle, Charmander wins!"

Ash celebrated his victory with little more than a smile. Surge's first Pokemon was already pretty strong. Gym Leaders usually used their strongest Pokemon towards the end of their battle. Ash very well knew that.

His attention was snapped by the Pokeball that Surge threw. The ball opened and in a flash of light, a light brown colored Pokemon with a white underbelly gnarled at him. The Pokemon had a sharp long tail which ended with a lightning bolt shape.

Ash narrowed his eyes as he watched the Raichu smirk and cackle some electric sparks from the yellow markings on its cheeks. The Pikachu evolutionary line were known for their speed more than anything else. They could churn out some pretty powerful attacks but like a lot of other electric types, their speed set them apart.

On top of that this was Lt. Surge's Raichu. He didn't expect anything it to be anything like a normal Raichu.

* * *

 **How was the chapter? Do tell me about it in the reviews.**

 **This chapter had the training that I thought was necessary to show since there were new moves that they would learn. Did you think the training was too much?**

 **And again, if you any ideas, I'd like to hear about them.**

 **I'd like to and try to get the next update in about a week's time. Maybe, I'll be able to finish it by the next weekend. I might be able to get it a bit before that, but chances of that are low unless I get into a groove and writing a good chunk of the chapter at once.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you liked the chapter!**


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